UPDATE: As of 5:05 on Wednesday, April 29th, the wildfire near Hurds Lake is being held by firefighters on the scene.
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Forest fire season is officially underway in the Ottawa Valley.
An active wildfire along High Lane near Hurds Lake south of Renfrew was first reported by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry at around 11:55 am on Tuesday, April 28th. As of 3:00 pm that afternoon, the fire has burned through 6.2 hectares and is considered “not under control.”
The Greater Madawaska Fire Department says that the MNRF has assumed control of the situation. An investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing as local firefighters and the ministry continue extinguishing the flames.
The Ministry of Natural Resources’ official forest fire information map lists the Ottawa Valley as being under a “moderate” wildfire risk, following warm temperatures and dry conditions in the region through last few days.
The moderate risk area runs from Arnprior all the way to Bisset Creek along Highway 17 and stretches to the south of Pembroke, covering communities like Killaloe and Eganville and parts of Hastings County.
Further west, towards North Bay, a large region is labeled as “low” risk. Meanwhile, a large area containing parts of Lanark and Frontenac Counties are considered “high” risk.
(Written by Steve Berard)
