Business owners in the town of Parry Sound say the name of the Parry Sound 33 forest fires have led to some confusion. They claim the number of visitors they typically see this time of year has decreased because of fears that fires are burning in the town.
But Parry Sound officials say it’s completely safe to be in the area.
“We’re safe here. For the residents in the area, it’s very safe. There is no imminent fire danger,” says Dave Thompson with the Parry Sound fire department. He says the smoke that some people witnessed in town on Wednesday was not from new fires in the area, but instead from the forest fires burning 75 kilometres away.
On Thursday, Environment Canada issued a special statement for parts of northern Ontario, which includes Parry Sound, because of the smoke from the forest fire. The agency says smoke is causing poor air quality and reducing visibility in some areas, and warns conditions may deteriorate if the smoke descends to ground level.
Parry Sound 33, which has burned through more than 100 square kilometres of forest, started on July 18 and is only five kilometres from the Trans-Canada Highway.
To find out more information about the forest fires click here.
