Offline
The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests is reporting a small fire in Algonquin Park, about 30 km from Chalk River as the crow flies.Fire “APK012” is described as 0.2 ha in size and currently “Not Under Control.”The fire began Monday afternoon approximately 1:45 pm at the north end of Grand Lake.No further details are currently available.While the cause of the fire is unknown, MNRF warns that people using outdoor fires “must follow strict guidelines under the Forest Fires Prevention Act of Ontario to ensure their fires are properly managed.”“Anyone who starts a fire outdoors must take all necessary steps to tend the fire, keep it under control, and make sure the fire is out before leaving the site. A person failing to burn safely could be fined and held responsible for the cost of putting out the fire.“People living in municipalities should check with local fire officials for bylaws on outdoor fires.”So far this summer there have been 448 reported forest fires in Ontario, compared to last year’s total of 1,138 and the 10-year average of 726.
Offline
Thanks Bo; heading there in late September so I hope it doesn't get too out of control. Come on rain!!!
Offline
There are actually a few fires in or near Algonquin that appear on the site linked in below.
One in the northwest corner of the park, on North Tea, very near the border of the park. The status is "not under control". Size is 0.1 hectares.
One is on Grand Lake, that one is 0.2 hectares, but shows as "under control". This is the one mentioned when this post started.
One is on Burnt Island Lake, just north of Alder Lake, in a bay there. 0.2 hectares, shows as "under control".
One is on Cradle Lake, northeast corner of the big island (I think it is an island). 0.1 hectares. Also shows as "under control".
All of these are right next to the water; a reasonable indication that they started from campfires. Those kinds of forest fires are just so avoidable through the tiniest bit of precaution. I keep a bucket of water by the campfire, and am kind of compulsive about making sure my fires are dead out. I don't want my name associated with a fire.
I wonder if instead of offering people garbage bags on the way in, if the permit sites should offer mini-buckets instead, or suggest using those garbage bags for putting out campfires. I bet a lot of people just stir the coals until they figure their fire is out.
In my youth, we came across a small island as we entered one of the large central lakes from the south, like Big Trout or Hogan, I don't remember. No campsite on the island, but there was smoke filtering through the trees. We stopped, and somebody had camped and left. Their fire burned out pine needles 4-6 inches deep to bare soil/rock in an area probably 7 by 8 or 9 meters. A couple of trees had been badly burned, roots exposed, etc., but it had really "just" been a smoldering fire with minimal flame-ups. We bucket-brigaded it with pots and pans and took care of it, but the damage had been done.
Campers can't undo forest fires, but they can prevent them easily enough. Also a safe bet that the campers whose campfires got out of control in the four instances above (if they were all campfires), don't even know what they did. They'd have to look it up later and say oh my gosh I camped there...., so they won't even learn from their irresponsible mistake.
The whole thing just ticks me off.
Offline
An appropriate time to quote from the "Backcountry of Algonquin Park Leave No Trace Outdoor Skills and Ethics" booklet.
A PDF version of it can be downloaded at .. 
"Page 8 - Use Only Official Fireplaces
One should have a campfire only when conditions are right ... no strong wind, no tinder-dry conditions, downed-dead-wood is plentiful, there's sufficient time to return the ashes to a safe cold state and one has the use of a properly intact official fireplace.
Algonquin's backcountry campsites are equipped with official fireplaces. These are far more than a ring of stones laid on the forest floor. Park staff have dug down a substantial depth and width to remove any organic forest soil and roots at the location. They've then filled the resulting pit with mineral sand and/or gravel, in order to reduce the likelihood of a smouldering fire becoming established in the underground organic layer.
Many destructive fires are started when campers unwittingly relocate the stonering part of a fireplace to a “more desirable” location. They then move on, oblivious that their relocated fire-ring has started the underground organic layer smouldering. Later the wind may pick up and cause the fire to break-out to the above-ground organics, producing a conventional forest fire .. or the underground fire may spread for days destroying tree after tree from below by killing their roots. This is the very important reason for using only the established campsite fireplace!"
Offline
Just exited from Grand yesterday. They had 2 planes helping the guys on the ground fight APK 023. I think we were watching CL-415s doing runs. There were 2 of them and we had one passing overhead every two minutes. Amazing how quickly they can do a water run and dump just flying a continual circle or oval (?) pattern. Felt like they were just a few hundred feet off the ground and as they passed overhead we'd get hit with water spray a few seconds later. Spoke to a warden who noted they had 2 ground crews out in the area - 12 person team fighting the one near Grand and another 6 person team to the northwest.APK023Size (ha): 5.8District: Algonquin ParkStatus: Not Under ControlDate Started: Aug 25, 2019, 5:45 PM
Offline
A couple of pictures of one of the planes:
1 of 1