2 fire ranger crews, local fire department battle forest fire near North Bay

Two fire ranger crews along with the Tilden Lake Fire Department battle a forest fire 0.6 of a kilometre west of Highway 11 and 0.8 of a kilometre west of Tilden Lake on May 17, 2026. (Eric Taschner/CTV News Northern Ontario)

A new wildfire confirmed by the Ministry of Natural Resources on Sunday afternoon is burning 0.6 of a kilometre west of Highway 11 and 0.8 of a kilometre west of Tilden Lake.

The fire, designated North Bay 7, was confirmed at 12:25 p.m. on May 17 and measures 0.3 of a hectare.

“Residents in the area and travellers along Highway 11 may notice smoke,” the ministry said in a social media post.

“Please stay clear of the area.”

In a brief telephone interview with CTV News ministry resources fire information officer Sydney Morgan-Gervais confirmed as of 12:30 p.m. the fire was not under control.

Morgan-Gervais said two fire ranger crews, along with the Tilden Lake Volunteer Fire Department, are on site combating the blaze.

The fire was subsequently listed as under control – but still active – as of 3:30 p.m.

The information officer added that there is no highway closure at this time, but smoke may reduce visibility, and drivers are urged to use caution.

“Fire conditions can change rapidly,” said Morgan-Gervais, adding to watch for official updates.

Dry conditions prompt earlier warning in the region

The fire comes just under a week after the West Nipissing Fire Department issued a warning to residents about continued dry conditions despite recent flooding.

In an interview with CTV News last week, West Nipissing Fire Chief Frank Loeffen said the department responded to five brush fires between April 20 and May 6, spending a total of 22 hours fighting those fires – all of which occurred while the community was under a state of emergency due to localized flooding.

Loeffen noted that forests and vegetation have not yet regained full moisture.

“Like people to keep in mind, again, the bylaw states there’s no daytime burning,” Loeffen said.

“Burning is only permitted after 6 o’clock at night (and) permits are required for anything larger than a campfire.”

For the most up-to-date fire conditions and fire listings, the ministry is directing the public to its interactive fire map.

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