Brush fires keep crews busy in Thunder Bay, Ont., as conditions remain dry

Kim Garritty · CBC News

· Posted: May 21, 2025 11:16 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 hours ago

A clump of brushwood fires westbound of Thunder Bay, Ont., kept crews engaged connected Wednesday day into the evening. 

Thunder Bay Fire Rescue Platoon Chief Jo Rucchin said successful a quality merchandise that the section began getting several 911 calls astir 3 p.m. ET.  People were reporting fires "along the obstruction enactment extending from the Thunder Bay Airport country to beyond Twin City Crossroads."

"Thunder Bay Fire Rescue instantly deployed aggregate pumper crews to respond to the fires, prioritizing the extortion of residential properties on the affected corridor," the quality merchandise said. "Crews worked swiftly to incorporate and suppress aggregate occurrence sites stretching from the Airport to Twin City Crossroads."

It took 5 hours to get the fires nether control, with Thunder Bay Fire Rescue working with Ministry of Natural Resources crews and the Oliver Paipoonge Fire Department. No homes oregon buildings were destroyed, according to the quality release.

Ontario's Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services (AFFES) said CL415 waterbombers were utilized to assistance suppress a occurrence known as Thunder Bay 9, which was burning southbound of the airport.

'Fires tin get distant quickly'

One of the brushwood fires conscionable northbound of Arthur Street West and 25th Side Road was not acold from Sarjeant Propane proviso company.

"Crews connected country close present are conscionable mopping up," Shane Zimmer, skipper with the Oliver Paipoonge Fire Department, told CBC connected the tract of the occurrence astir 8:30 p.m. ET.  

"We took a small portion to get the full occurrence unopen down. But it looks similar it's beauteous overmuch done now."   

Zimmer said helium doesn't cognize however the occurrence started, and that it volition beryllium investigated. However, helium said it's a bully reminder to beryllium highly cautious close now.

"Fires tin get distant rather quickly," helium said.

All of Oliver Paipoonge township is presently nether a occurrence ban.

Road closures and cancellations 

Late successful the afternoon, the Thunder Bay Police Service had advised people to debar the Oliver Paipoonge municipality arsenic crews responded to a occurrence betwixt Arthur Street West and Highway 11/17. They were besides asking radical to debar Arthur Street West betwixt the 20th Side Road and the Highway 11/17 junction. 

Thunder City Speedway closed for the evening and rescheduled races for Thursday evening. 

Meanwhile, several ample wood fires remain out of power successful northwestern Ontario, with precocious to extreme conditions successful immoderate occidental parts of the province.