UPDATE: Friday, June 9, 2023: 2:15 p.m.
A total fire ban remains in place for Bancroft and is expected to continue through the weekend.
Deputy Fire Chief Matt Musclow 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.
That means no-open air burning, including the use of campfires, burn barrels and wood or charcoal burning barbecues and outdoor stoves.
Meanwhile, three forest fires in the broader area remain active. In addition to the one along Centennial Lake, near Griffith, 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 hectres. It’s listed as “being held.”
Centennial Lake fire “being held”
The evacuation order for the Centennial Lake area in Greater Madawaska remains in effect, until 3 p.m. 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: 3 p.m.
Bancroft’s Fire Chief says any light rain shouldn’t be interpreted to mean that a total fire ban will end.
Pat Hoover says the rain forecast for Thursday and Friday won’t be enough to lift it.
“Sprinkles and showers are not enough to saturate the ground and take away the fire risk that exists in the area,” he says. “We need a long soaker rain or a significant rainfall, not flash rains that run off the surface.”
Bancroft – and several other North Hastings municipalities – have had total fire bans in place all week. That means no-open air burning, including the use of campfires, burn barrels and wood or charcoal burning barbecues and outdoors stoves.
Hoover says, so far, Bancroft residents have been co-operative, and the Fire Department hasn’t had to deal with issues this week.
He says many other factors will help determine when the ban should be lifted, including the guidance the Department receives from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.