DRYDEN — The province's biggest-ever forest fire is now considered unlikely to spread beyond its existing boundaries.
The 196,000-hectare Red Lake 12 was declared "being held" by the Ministry of Natural Resources on Sunday.
The MNR described it as "a significant milestone" for the fire that prompted the evacuation of both Deer Lake and Sandy Lake First Nations.
Eighteen firefighting crews supported by seven helicopters are still assigned the task of bringing the fire under complete control, but some other equipment has now been demobilized.
Logistic support staff will be shipping firefighting apparatus out of Deer Lake and Sandy Lake over the next few days.
Elsewhere in Northwestern Ontario, the MNR discovered a total of nine new fires over the weekend.
The largest is Sioux Lookout 47, which at last report had burned about 20 hectares near Kinasao Lake, roughly 60 kilometres east/southeast of North Spirit Lake First Nation.
This fire is currently being kept under observation.
Another outbreak the MNR is monitoring is a two-hectare blaze on an island on Wabakimi Lake, 63 kilometres northwest of Armstrong.
