An evacuation order was issued on Saturday for Sandy Lake First Nation as a wildfire moved toward the northwestern Ontario community.
Sandy Lake officials issued the order after the fire, known as Red Lake 12, was spotted moving northward toward the community in the province’s Kenora district. Sandy Lake First Nation, a fly-in community, is located about 600 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay, Ont.
Ontario Forest Fires says in a Facebook post that community officials are asking residents to gather at the southeast corner of Sandy Lake, where fire management staff are mobilizing boats.
Red Lake 12 has grown to a size of more than 66,000 hectares in the region, and it is not yet under control.
Smoke from the fire has pervaded many parts of the province, leading to air quality statements and warnings.
The latest information about wildfire activity in Ontario can be found on the province’s interactive fire map.
