Evacuees from Armstrong, Whitesand and Collins First Nations in Thunder Bay following wildfire evacuations

Fire bans in effect for communities in the area due to extreme fire hazard

Fire ban are in effect for the Thunder Bay area as wildfires burn across the region.

Bans have been put into effect for the City of Thunder Bay, Oliver Paipoonge, Neebing, Nolalu, and Dryden due to extreme fire hazard in the area.

The fires have prompted evacuation orders for Armstrong, Whitesand First Nation, and Collins First Nation, with residents of those communities seeking shelter in Thunder Bay.

Lac Des Mille Lacs First Nation and Cushing Lake have also been ordered to evacuate, and residents Ignace, Crystal Lake and the Highway 633 area have been advised to prepare for a possible evacuation.

"The smoke was really thick," said Diane Laybourne, secretary of the Armstrong Local Services Board. "We were getting burnt pine needles in our vehicles and just floating around."

"When you look to the west, the clouds looked really orange and it wasn't the sun," she said. "it was like the reflection of the fire."

Laybourne said there's also a fire burning north of Armstrong, but there hasn't yet been any damage to the community.

Ignace CAO Aaron Gullins said the town was informed to be on standby for a possible evacuation on Monday night.

"It's just in preparation for people just to prepare, pack their bags, telling people what they should pack, what they should prepare for," he said, speaking with CBC News on Tuesday. "We actually, we just got out of a meeting with MNR and ... and they advised us that there's been some fortunate weather developments."

Wildfires prompt multiple evacuations in northwestern Ontario amid extreme heat

Gullins said the wind has shifted and is now coming from the north west, which is pushing the fire away from Ignace.

The fire itself, he said, is approximately 25 kilometres south-southwest from Ignace, but its exact size isn't known.

"They're estimating it to be about 500 hectares, but they want to really get in a close eye view of the size and and scale of this fire," he said.

As of Monday night, there were 128 active fires in the northwest, according to Ontario's Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services.

Smoke from fires in the United States is also drifting in the region, many parts of which remain under orange heat warnings issued by Environment Canada.

The City of Thunder Bay, meanwhile, issued a media release on Tuesday morning saying there is "no immediate threat to the City of Thunder Bay" from the wildfires.

"However, wildfire conditions can change quickly, and residents are encouraged to remain informed and be prepared."