There are 67 active forest fires in the region, as of Wednesday night, with more fire crews from around the country arriving today to help out.

Along with an Incident Management Team and 20 more fire crews from Alberta, there’s about 70 more crew members arriving today from Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland, BC, the Northwest Territories and Saskatchewan.

70 arrived earlier this week.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry says crews and helicopters helped to reduce fire activity with the forest fire burning near Temagami, with good progress on the fire being reported.

There are also travel restrictions for some roads in the Temagami area (see map below).

The Health Unit is reminding people to protect themselves from forest fire smoke.

They say it can be particularly harmful to children, seniors, pregnant women, people with lung or heart problems and people working or playing sports outdoors.

“Forest fire smoke is made up of a mixture of gases and very small particles that are produced when wood and other organic matter burn,” says Greg Rochon, Manager of Emergency Management. “These small particles and gases can be harmful to your health, so it’s important to take precautions.”

To protect yourself and minimize the health effects of forest fire smoke, the Health Unit recommends the following:

• If breathing or comfort-level is impacted, move to a less smoky area. This may include going indoors or simply moving to an outdoor area with increased clean air flow.
• If going indoors to get out of the smoke, be sure the temperature indoors doesn’t create additional problems. Use air conditioning or a fan if available and drink plenty of water.
• If it is smoky outside, it is best not to go outdoors to do physical activity. Stay indoors with the windows closed.
• Use air conditioning in cars and keep windows closed. Remember, vehicles should never be run in an enclosed space like a garage.
• Avoid using smoke producing appliances such as wood stoves and even candles.
• Do not smoke tobacco inside – smoking puts added stress on your lungs and those around you.
• If you have asthma or other respiratory conditions, avoid smoke as much as you can and take your prescribed medicine. Speak with your health care provider to get the specific advice.

For more information on forest fire smoke and your health, contact the Health Unit at 1-800-563-2808.

 

(Photos: North Bay 72 – July 11, 2018 submitted by Aviation Forest Fire and Emergency Services – Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry)