The year 2011 marked one of the most severe fire seasons in 50 years in Ontario's boreal forest. Northwestern Ontario was hit particularly hard, with more than 900 fires burning about 630,000 hectares last year. That’s close to the size of the Greater Toronto Area.
One of these fires, known as Red Lake 084, was started by lightning in a mostly undisturbed area northeast of Ear Falls around July 10, 2011. It burned for more than three weeks, covering about 54,000 hectares. This single fire burned more area than all the large forest fires in northwestern Ontario in the previous four years combined.
Red Lake 084 was accessible by road, allowing OFRI researchers the rare opportunity to survey the site of a major fire. The result is a report that includes over 100 air- and ground-based photos of the fire’s aftermath, taken within a few weeks of the fire being controlled.
The report also provides an overview of the patterns, the variability in burn intensity, the fire skips, the spotting—a different perspective from what you can see from the ground. It documents all aspects of the fire, including information about pre-burn cover, fuel types, and weather patterns before and during the fire, and fire progression and extinguishment. this information provides a useful base for further investigations of natural fire processes and patterns in boreal forests.
To download a PDF of Red Lake 084 of 2011: A Reconnaissance Survey of a Large Boreal Wildfire (OFRI Forest Research Information Paper No. 177), visit OFRI's Publications page.
For information about related research and publications, visit Ajith Perera's profile on OFRI's People page.
Red Lake 084 photo gallery
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An MNR CL-415 waterbomber attacks the Red Lake 084 fire northeast of Ear Falls in July 2011.
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Fire crews also used bulldozers, fire hoses, and sprinklers to try to stop the fire from spreading and to protect buildings in the fire area.
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The Red Lake 084 fire varied dramatically in pattern; An area near Allison Lake was severely burned....
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...while the fire pattern in other parts of the burn area was very patchy. This finding surprised researchers, who expected few patches of unburned areas given the size and intensity of this fire.
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The fire swept some forest stands clean of greenery and even organic soil, exposing mineral soil and tree roots....
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...but these forests are used to fire. Intense heat releases the seed from jack pine cones, allowing new seedlings to take root and grow
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| A spot fire burned an entire island in Gull Lake at the northeastern edge of the burn area. While it looked bleak just after the fire, this island will likely be covered in green again by summer 2012. |
