A couple local communities are watching nearby forest fires.
The Township of White River's implemented a fire ban - suspending all burning permits and open burning within municipal boundaries - due to "extremely dry conditions and lack of rainfall in the forecast", which has helped fuel two forest fires on either side of the community: "Wawa 2" - a 105 hectare blaze located south of Highway 17 and Crocker's Lake, about 5.5 kilometres west of White River - and "Wawa 3", an 800 hectare fire located within the Kakakiwibik Esker north of Highway 17 - both are listed as "not under control".
In a Monday evening update, the Township of White River noted "Wawa 2" - the "Crocker Lake Fire" - has slowed down and is not considered a threat, though Wawa - or the "Depew Fire" - is moving north along Highway 631, even jumping that highway near the Tedder River - 631 was closed late Monday after due to smoke and low visibility and is expected to remain closed due to the fire, with only local traffic permitted through - the Township also notes the local Silver Lake Resources operations have been asked to clear their site, though it emphasizes there is no threat to White River at this time and Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry considers the fires a high priority with multiple crews, heavy helicopters, water bombers, and air support on scene, even bringing in additional heavy helicopters to assist with the Depew Fire.
The fires have also prompted Environment Canada to issue a special air quality statement for the White River and Dubreuilville areas, warning "high levels of air pollution have developed" due to smoke from the fires, warning - while smoke can be harmful to everyone's health, even at low concentrations - people with lung or heart disease, older adults, children, pregnant people, and those who work outdoors are at higher risk of experiencing health effects, recommending stopping outdoor activities and contact a health care provider if you or someone in your care experiences shortness of breath, wheezing, severe cough, dizziness, or chest pains, and - if you must spend time outdoors - wear a well-fitted respirator-type mask that does not allow air to pass through small openings between the mask and face, as that will reduce exposure to fine particles in smoke - which generally pose the greatest risk to health - though it won't reduce exposure to gases in wildfire smoke.