Forest fire evacuees hosted at Nav Center

(Newswatch Group/Bill Kingston, File)

CORNWALL – At least 300 forest fire evacuees from northwestern Ontario are being hosted at Nav Center in Cornwall.

Deputy Fire Chief Matthew Stephenson told Cornwall Newswatch there were 326 residents of the Deer Lake First Nation at the Montreal Road facility this week “with possibly more coming in on the weekend.”

The first group arrived several days ago.

Cornwall is not the only community providing shelter to residents forced from their homes due to the forest fires.

Dryden, Thunder Bay, Timmins and Sudbury are also providing accommodations.

Residents of the Pikangikum and Deer Lake First Nations were forced to leave as up to two dozen active forest fires, fueled by dry conditions, continue to burn around the Red Lake area.

The fires have consumed at least 233,000 hectares (576,000 acres).