Shuniah (May 13, 2018) – At approximately 15:45pm on Sunday, May 13, 2018, Shuniah Fire & Emergency Services (SFES) responded to reports of a structure fire with persons trapped in the 600 block of Copenhagen Road in the Municipality of Shuniah.
Upon arrival, fire crews reported a large grass fire surrounding a residential dwelling with no persons trapped inside. Thunder Bay Fire Rescue (TBFR) quickly knocked the fire down around the structure upon their initial arrival with SFES crews assisting soon after. The Ministry of Natural Resources – Air, Forest Fire, and Emergency Services (AFFES) was requested for the fire spreading into the nearby forest.
The fire was declared under control at approximately 4:30pm and was fully extinguished at approximately 5:00pm. The cause of the fire was determined to be improper disposal of smoking materials from the resident.
Based on the initial reported severity and the geographic location of the call, multiple agencies were dispatched simultaneously. Ten SFES firefighters in seven fire apparatus, eight TBFR firefighters in two fire apparatus, two AFFES units, four Ontario Provincial Police units, and a Superior North EMS ambulance responded to the call. All SFES units were back in service by 5:30pm.
SFES would like to remind the public about the high forest fire hazard in the area that is expected to increase throughout the week with the lack of precipitation forecast, and the importance of disposing of smoking materials properly to prevent wildfires.