It was a busy firefighting season in the northeast and throughout Ontario.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry says 486 fires burned over 62,000 hectares in the region.

Across Ontario there were 1,325 forest fires, with 549 in July alone.

The ministry says over 276,000 hectares were burned well over last years total of 112,000.

The total number of fires was way up too from 776 last year.

There were some major forest fires in the North Bay District this summer and it took quite a while to put them out.

North Bay 72 was discovered on July 8th and surpassed 27-thousand hectares in size.

It wasn’t declared out until last Monday.

Parry Sound 33 consumed over 11,000 hectares and was officially declared out last Thursday.

It also started in July.

Lightning caused 71 percent of the forest fires in Ontario this season, with the remaining 29 percent caused by human activity.

(File Photo – North Bay 72 – previously submitted)

Filed under: 2018 forest fire season, North Bay area MNRF