Temagami residents evacuate

Temagami residents evacuate Emergency crews battle Temagami forest fires as smoke and flames move rapidly towards homes and cottages. Brittany Bortolon reports.

In Temagami, about an hour north of North Bay, the forest fires have prompted a state of emergency to be declared and evacuations have been ordered.

People in about 20 homes or cottages were ordered to leave, and several parks in the area were cleared out.

The Acting Mayor, Dan O’Mara, believes lightning caused the forest fire.

Fear has been a common feeling for many residents in the Temagami area as they watched smoke and flames rapidly move its way towards their homes.

Alyson Gair is a resident of Bell Island.

"The smoke was coming directly over our island. And so that was the fear, that wherever the fire was, this huge plume of smoke, that's where the fire was going." said Gair.

O’Mara says while the fire in some areas is under control, relief is not yet in sight.

"Still, some major forest fires in the area, the one out by River Valley, that's an extreme fire. Unfortunately, or fortunately, we had some resources in the area when this one blew up last night." said O’Mara.

Police and municipal officials say a mandatory evacuation order has been in place since Sunday for people on the south boundary of Temagami to Jesse Lake, but the MNRF says surrounding areas could also be evacuated.

Isabelle Chenard is a fire information officer with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.

“There's also a notice to other residents that relocated west, up above the lake, that if the fire gets worse, they may be asked to leave." said Chenard.

So, it's a waiting game for those watching the smoke take over their homes.

"My son and i had taken the boat up the island is covered in smoke you can hardly even see where the water bombers are but they're circling around over our heads we know that they are still picking up farther up the lake.” said Gair.

Ontario Provincial Police are asking those travelling along the highway not to stop and take pictures of the smoke and fire, and boaters are being asked to stay off Lake Temagami in order to allow water bombers to land and collect water to help contain the fire.