UPDATE: Friday, June 9, 2023, 2:30 p.m.
A total fire ban remains in place for Madawaska Valley and is expected to continue through the weekend.
Fire Chief Corwin Quade says not enough rain is in the forecast to expect any changes and the municipality is also in a Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry-fire restriction zone, which covers most of Ontario.
In Madawaska Valley, that means no open-air burning including campfires. Portable gas or propane stoves may be used for cooking but must be handled with caution. All burning permits are suspended.
Meanwhile, three forest fires in the broader area remain active. Crews are still on the site of one in Centennial Lake, near Griffith. That blaze is now listed as under control.
Two are ongoing in Algonquin Park, west of Petawawa. One, in a 30-hectre area north of Clemow Lake, is listed as “under control.” Another, further west, covers about 2 hectares. It’s listed as “being held.”
Centennial Lake fire “being held”
The evacuation order for the Centennial Lake area in Greater Madawaska was to remain in effect, until 3 p.m. on Friday.
The municipality says the fire is “being held” and crews are on scene, cleaning up the area and monitoring conditions.
Crews have been fighting the fire that started on an island on the weekend and spread to shore.
The evacuation order covers Black Mountain Estate, Little Bay Lane, Airds Lake Road and Snider’s Tent and Trailer Park.
The area remains under a total fire ban.
Thursday, June 8, 2023, 12 noon
Madawaska Valley’s Fire Chief says any light rain shouldn’t be interpreted to mean that a total fire ban will end.
Corwin Quade says the rain forecast for Thursday and Friday won’t be enough to lift it. The ban’s been in place since last week.
“We need about 30 to 40 millimetres of rain to soak in, to get it down to a Level 1 fire ban,” Quade says.
The current total ban means no-open air burning, including campfires. Portable gas or propane stoves may be used for cooking but must be handled with caution. All burning permits are suspended.
Quade is also concerned about people throwing cigarette butts out of vehicle windows. He says the Madawaska Valley Fire Department has received numerous complaints about it. He warns a smoldering cigarette butt can start a serious grass fire. Quade says, if you are seen disposing of a cigarette and it starts a wildfire you may be held accountable for the cost of putting the fire out.
Quade says Madawaska Valley residents have, so far, been co-operative with the ban and no serious issues have come up this week. But he’s still worried.