All of Ontario under fire ban as 80 wild fires burn across the province

There are currently at least 80 wildfires burning in Ontario.

There are currently at least 80 wildfires burning in Ontario.

Twenty-seven of those are in the province’s northeast region, while 53 are in the northwest, according to data provided by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.

The fire hazard remains high to extreme for most of the province today, the ministry says.

Most of Ontario entered a multi-day heat event on Tuesday that could see temperatures soar into the low 40s. While regions in the north saw rain over the weekend, officials say it provided little relief from the fires.

All regions in Ontario are currently under fire bans. Open-air burning, including campfires, is not permitted. Propane gas or propane stoves may be used but officials urge people to handle them with extreme caution.

In 2022, the government recorded 109 forest fires. So far this year, the province has reported more than three times as many than last year’s count. Collectively, 368 fires have burned more than 110,000 hectares of land in Ontario this year.