magazine / so97
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September/October 1997 issue |
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Chronicle of a forest fire
THERE
WAS ALMOST NO RAIN from May 20 to June 12 in the broad
swath of boreal forest surrounding Timmins in Northern Ontario.
By June 7, the 15,652-square-kilometre Timmins Fire Management
Area was tinder dry. That afternoon, an electrical storm without
rain lit up the district: more than 330 lightning strikes were
recorded on radar images. Sixteen forest fires were ignited,
15 of which were contained by firefighters. One exploded into
a raging blaze, sweeping across about 100 square kilometres in
six days.
FIRE FACTS
Area burned: 9,538 hectares
Forest consumed:the fire began in an area populated
by black spruce, then spread through a mixed forest of jack pine
and spruce
Firefighters deployed: 278
at peak, some brought in from as far away as British Columbia
Camps established for firefighters:
30, with three to five firefighters per camp
Equipment used: six water
bombers; eight bulldozers; countless fire hoses, pumps, shovels
and other hand tools
What brought the fire under control:
rain that began on June 12
Properties protetcted:
75
Properties saved: 8
Properties lost: one cottage
and several buildings
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