Forest fires in Northern Ontario have been cause for alarm
during the last two weeks, with residents in multiple communities
being forced to evacuate their homes to escape the flames.
Particularly affected is the Parry Sound District, as a result of
the fire known as "Parry Sound 33". This fire remains
uncontrolled and spans 10,139 hectares, five kilometres west of
Highway 69. The municipality of Killarney has issued an evacuation
order and French River is on evacuation alert. Parry Sound 33
started on July 18, 2018 and has burned more than 100 square
kilometres in the last two weeks.
Forest fires occur in Ontario every year and are a natural and
important aspect of forest ecology, but as current events in
Northern Ontario, British Columbia and California demonstrate,
their effects on communities can be devastating. The size and
intensity of forest fires vary depending on weather patterns, and
this year's weather has been particularly conducive to forest
fires in
