Ontario forest fires cost taxpayers less in 2013 - Action News
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Thunder Bay

Ontario forest fires cost taxpayers less in 2013

Taxpayers shelled out a lot less for fighting forest fires in northern Ontario this year.

Just over $110 million spent on firefighting operations

A photo of Red Lake District Fire 31, taken July 31. (Ministry of Natural Resources)

Taxpayers shelled out a lot less for fighting forest fires in northern Ontario this year.

Now that the fire season has just ended, the Ministry of Natural Resources reports it spent slightly more than$110 million on firefighting operations that's $60 million less than last year.

There were fewer than 600 fires, barely one-third last season's total.

That numberis about half the yearly average from the last decade.

The biggest fire of 2013was Red Lake #31, as seen in the accompanying picture. The blaze started July 3 in the Pikangikum White Feather Forest.

Ranger crews from all over Ontario were dispatched to the fire, which wasnt officially declared out until more than two months later.The fire scorched nearly 19,000 hectares of land.

Northwest Region 2013 fire activity summary by district

District Total # of fires Total hectares burned
Dryden 39 20.1
Kenora 56 48.1
Fort Frances 23 20.7
Thunder Bay 36 106.7
Sioux Lookout 68 11,050.7
Red Lake 69 22,270.9
Nipigon(Greenstone) 66 10,607.0
Total 357 44,124.2
Prescribed Burns 3 75.0