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Lightning causes majority of 21 new forest fires in Ontario, ministry says

Smoke hangs above the treeline near dusk blocking out the setting sun at forest fires near Killarney, Ont., Tuesday, July 31, 2018. There is concern that a change in the weather today could stoke the dozens of wildfires raging across northeastern Ontario. Fred Thornhill / THE CANADIAN PRESS

Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry says there are 20 new forest fires in the northwestern part of the province.

A spokesman for the ministry says the new fires were reported on Friday night and that they were caused by lightning.

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Jonathan Scott says there are 57 active fires in the northwest and 11 active fires in the northeast.

He says there hasn’t been much activity in the northeastern region as one new fire was reported on Friday.

Scott says all of the fires in the northeast are under control or are still being observed.

The ministry says there have been 1,277 forest fires so far this year, compared to 706 last year.

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