Firewatch 2025

July 18 — North Shore with no new fires

Wildfire smoke from Northwestern Ontario gave us this bright wildfire sunset along Highway 17 last Sunday evening (July 13). — Image © Shore Report

Despite 9 active fires across the entire Northeast region of the province, Lake Huron’s North Shore communities are all currently enjoying a “low danger” rating. With only a little bit of rain forecast for the next seven days, that picture could change. All residents are advised to stay alert to fire danger and related weather conditions.

Ontario’s interactive fire map shows the North Shore region in the cool, blue “low” danger zone.

The region has so far escaped the fates of Northwestern Ontario and Eastern Manitoba, which continue to experience new and spreading wildfires. Red Lake is currently surrounded and listed in the “extreme” danger zone, while the area immediately around Kenora has largely been upgraded to “high” danger.

Northwestern Ontario continues to struggle with active and out of control wildfires. — Image courtesy Ontario’s Forest Fires page.

As for smoke, the region is avoiding the worst of it for the time being. Winds seem to be pushing the western wildfire smoke both above and below Lake Huron’s North Shore. The smoke map for July 18 shows almost all particulate matter blowing past the region.

Firesmoke.ca’s Smoke Map shows a fortunate wind picture for the North Shore.

Here is the latest official report for the entire Northeast region from Ontario’s Forest Fires information webpage:

Northeast Region

Updated: July 17, 2025 - 5:40 p.m. EDT

No new wildland fires were confirmed in the Northeast Region by the evening of July 17.

At the time of this update there are 9 active wildland fires in the Northeast Region. All are being observed.

The wildland fire hazard is low across the Northeast Region. A few spots on the southern border of the fire region, as well as areas in the Far North, have a moderate fire hazard.

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Shore Report acknowledges the North Shore of Lake Huron is the traditional land of the Anishinabek and the Métis Nation. This is Treaty 61 (Robinson-Huron) territory. Anishinabek have lived in the Great Lakes region for thousands of years. Shore Report is very grateful to live and work here.

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All written content in this issue is © Shore Report 2025 unless otherwise noted by a writer’s byline.