Sudbury wildfire grows to 72 hectares, not under control

Wildfire west of Sudbury has grown to 15 hectares with the MNR deploying water bombers as 18 local fire trucks are on scene.

A wildfire burning west of Sudbury has expanded significantly overnight, growing from 15 to 72 hectares as strong winds challenge firefighting efforts.

The fire, designated Sudbury 2 by the Ministry of Natural Resources, is located approximately 3.8 kilometres north of Highway 17 and three kilometres southeast of Agnew Lake, north of Nairn Centre.

Multiple crews are on the scene. The MNR has deployed water bombers and Greater Sudbury Fire Services rushed 18 trucks to the scene earlier on Friday evening.

The fire was first reported at five hectares in size around 6:45 p.m. on May 29. By around 9 p.m. that evening, it had grown to 15 hectares and as of 11 a.m. on Saturday, the Ontario Interactive Fire Map listed the fire at 72 hectares.

Fire not under control

The Ministry of Natural Resources says the fire is not under control as of late Saturday morning.

“Please stay clear of the area,” added the MNR, in a social media post Friday.

Wind fueling the fire

Sudbury Fire Chief Rob Grimwood told CTV News that the cause of the fire remains unknown, but winds are fuelling the flames.

“It’s extremely windy right now,” he said.

“So, what might even be considered a really small, simple backyard fire has a high risk of spreading and getting out of control.”

Grimwood advised against any outdoor fires given the gusty conditions.

“So, there should be no outdoor fires,” he said.

“The wind is too significant right now and people need to practice fire safety to avoid something like this happening.”

No evacuations ordered

Fire services have been in contact with residents in the immediate area.

No injuries have been reported and emergency services said they do not foresee any evacuations at this time.

With files from CTVNorthernOntario.ca journalist Amanda Hicks