Burnt River fire contained

The Ministry of Natural Resources is reporting that the wildfire in Burnt River is held, meaning a boundary has been established and the fire is not likely to spread past that.

“We sincerely thank all firefighters, fire rangers, flight crews, emergency responders, Public Works and support staff for your assistance over the past several days. It has been a challenging operation, and we continue to work to suppress within the 27-hectare boundary,” said Jeff Bignell, deputy chief of Kawartha Lakes Fire Service.

The Kirkfield fire is still out of control, encapsulating 33.5 hectares, and crews are working to contain it. Helicopters and water bombers are ready to attack if needed.

Mayor Doug Elmslie is cautiously optimistic about the situation, however with conditions still dry he warns that it’s only “one lightning strike away from being in the soup again.”

Elmslie thanks everyone involved for their work, from the firefighters who are on ground zero, to residents for staying out of the way and complying with the complete burn ban.

Residents are reminded of road closures on Country Road 49 between County Road 121 and Bury’s Green, as well as south of 1304 Prospect Rd to north of 1375 Prospect Rd. For updates go to www.municipal511.ca.

The city reminds residents to only call 911 for life threatening emergencies and to call 705-324-2191 to report any smoke sightings.