Current Conditions - Oshawa, ON

Four new wildfires have been reported in the region, bringing the area’s total active fires to 109.

There are now 148 active fires burning, with 44 of those not under control, 12 being held, 27 under control and 65 being monitored.

Currently, there are 151 wildland fires burning in Ontario, 138 of which are in the northwest region and 13 of which are in the northeast region.

Residents from two more First Nations in northwestern Ontario are being evacuated today due to the threat posed by growing wildfires in the region.

The comments come as wildfires are currently raging out of control, forcing residents out of their homes in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Wildfire smoke is a constantly-changing mixture of particles and gases which includes many chemicals that can be harmful to your health.

In the Greater Toronto Area, Environment Canada said wind gusts of up to 90 km/h and hail up to the size of a nickel could be possible with Tuesday afternoon’s storm.

Ontario is imposing new restrictions on the mining, rail, construction and transportation industries in the province’s northwest to reduce the likelihood of human-caused fires.

‘Several of the houses we could see — there’s one in particular that I put on my Twitter — where the roof just slid off,’ professor Gregory Kopp told Global News Radio 640 Toronto.

A spokesperson for Environment Canada said while there wasn’t the lead time meteorologists wouldn’t have liked, the tornado alert system appeared to work as it was designed to do.

On Friday afternoon, Ontario Premier Doug Ford visited the area where the twister touched down and surveyed some of the damage caused by the storm.

Environment Canada issued a preliminary rating of an EF-2 tornado with maximum wind speeds of 210 km/h that hit Barrie’s south end Thursday afternoon.

“The character of the community is defined by its response to its most difficult days, and this is one of them,” Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman said after a tornado caused major damage.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry says the order means the province can close roads and restrict access to certain areas as needed to fight the fires.

The Nishnawbe Aski Nation says the declaration is needed to trigger an immediate response to the situation, including aircraft and watercraft for evacuations.