A major forest fire in the White River area continues to grow.
Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry's showing “Wawa 3” - located within the Kakakiwibik Esker north of Highway 17 - is now about 5770 hectares in size and still not under control.
In an update this morning, the Township of White River says "Tuesday was a good day despite the heat and wind", as "Wawa 2" - or the "Crocker Lake Fire", which is located south of Highway 17 and Crocker Lake, about 5.5 kilometres west of White River - has not advanced - it's still shown at 105 hectares in size - while "Wawa 3" - or the "Depew Fire" - continues to move north and away from White River, with the update emphasizing there's no threat to the community and the MNRF "continues to bring in more crews and equipment".
Driving in the area may be hindered by on-and-off closures or visibility issues due to the smoke, which has 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" from the smoke and - 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.
The Townships of White River and Chapleau have both banned outdoor fires due to the hot, dry conditions and fire hazard, which remains "extreme" for most of the northeast.