Gogama on alert as wildfire grows

Preparing for the worst in Gogama A massive wildfire has led to calls for a voluntary evacuation from officials. CTV's Lydia Chubak reports.

With the wildfire near Gogama, approximately four kilometers south of the town, still out of control, officials are preparing in case a mandatory evacuation needs to be issued.

Christine Bedard is the secretary of the Gogama Local Service Board. She says as of Sunday afternoon, the community is not in any danger, but they're ready.

“All entities that are involved are actually just in preparation mode for worst case scenario. There’s, at this current time, absolutely no reason for residents to become alarmed. Of course the community is on an alert notice, a two-hour alert notice.” said Bedard.

The fire in Gogama first began on Thursday evening and as of Sunday evening, it had grown to approximately 6,000 hectares in size.

Officials with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry say it is burning parallel to Highway 144 on the west side.

“If the winds do shift and smoke comes into the community that is a concern. If hydro is cut off to the community that is also another concern.” said Bedard.

Ontario Provincial Police closed Highway 144 between Highway 661 and Highway 560 for a majority of the weekend. Officials believe there is a good chance that the fire will cross over it. They are warning the public to check highway statuses before travelling.

Officials say they are preparing for the worst outcome.

The fire is being fought by eleven FireRanger crews, three helicopters and waterbombers. The local community is very appreciative.

Mary Ann Dean is co-owner of Morin's All Season Resort in Gogama. She says the firefighters are doing a great job.

“We give the firefighters a lot of credit for what they are doing here though, it’s amazing. We feel very safe.” says Dean.

As part of the evacuation preparation, officials have arranged bus transportation with Tisdale Bus Lines. The company is on standby with several buses and drivers available to the town.

"We we're asked to come out last night in the event that we need to mobilize the community quickly, so we have several buses and drivers available to Gogama." said Luc Chalifoux, of Tisdale Bus Lines.

The community has over 200 full-time residents, many of them senior citizens who may require special assistance. The town is also very popular with summer vacationers, with some choosing to leave early.

Bill Scobie is a local camper from Timmins. He tells CTV News many others packed up and left quickly after the voluntary evacuation was issued.

“Yesterday seemed more chaotic, people with the voluntary evacuation. A lot of people had left the campground, brought their boats and bikes back into town and most of them were headed towards Timmins.” said Scobie.

Officials are meeting regularly with the fire department and the MNRF in order to keep the public updated. They are asking that anyone who wants to self-evacuate to register at the local community centre before leaving.