Note to Northwest Operators Impacted by Wildfires
Dear Operators:
We at NOTO want you to know we are here for you during this difficult time. We are very concerned about the fire situation in Northwestern Ontario and we hope you are all staying safe during this difficult time.
We have received reports that some operators have lost their outpost camps but we have no further information than that. If anyone has specific news, please share so that we can reach out to offer our support.
Stay Safe,
NOTO Board and Staff
Implementation Order Notice for NW Operators Due to Ongoing Fire Situation
There is currently an Emergency Area Order in place covering the Northwest Fire Region of Ontario (Restricted Fire Zones 1-13) due to the extreme fire hazard and significant fire activity in this area of the province.
Under the EAO, Implementation Orders can be made to restrict certain activities. There are currently an Implementation order which restricted certain road construction, harvesting, processing, and silviculture activities. Effective July 20th, additional restrictions have come into place as part of Stage Two under the Implementation Order:
The following activities carried out as part of an industrial operation as defined under Ontario Regulation 207/96: Outdoor Fires are prohibited:
- Operation that uses heavy machinery equipped with metal parts that may come into contact with rocks or similar material in the normal course of operation and cause a spark.
- Stripping of the surface vegetation and forest floor with heavy machinery.
- Hot work.
- Rail production grinding.
- Blasting of rock or soil without use of blasting mats.
- Switch crossing grinding.
- Operations using a channel saw where the surface vegetation and forest floor have not been removed up to a distance of at least three metres from the place where the channel saw is being operated on the worksite.
- Delimbing or slashing felled trees with heavy machinery.
- Using a portable saw mill.
- Slash piling.
- Building, spreading or shaping the sub-grade with a back hoe or excavator.
- Operation using three or more brush saws.
- Operation using heavy machinery with rubber tires and no chains.
- Drilling operation that does not use water as a coolant or flushing agent and that is carried out in an area that has not been cleared of the surface vegetation and forest floor.
- Induced polarization surveys using a power generator.
If you have any questions, or if there are any major concerns you would like flagged at a Provincial level, please do not hesitate to reach out to Amy Bryant at the contact info below:
Amy BryantEmergency Management and Security CoordinatorMinistry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and ForestryPhone: 807-707-1434Email: amy.bryant@ontario.ca
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