Dry conditions and frequent lightning have led to one of the province’s worst fire seasons, prompting the Ontario government to spend an extra $100 million to battle the blazes. Just this week, firefighting crews gained the upper hand against a blaze known as Parry Sound 33, located about three hours north of the GTA, just west of Highway 69. Article Continued Below“Parry Sound 33 has been upgraded to ‘being held,’ which means we can now focus on the core of the fire in that region,” Yurek said. “The weather has cooperated, which has allowed our front-line staff to get a handle on the fires.” The cause of Parry Sound 33, which has devastated almost 11,400 hectares, is still under investigation. “The forest is drier, and we get thunderstorms passing over the forest, and they put out lightning,” he said.

Source: thestar August 10, 2018 22:07 UTC