Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Going into the second half of the summer, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry says the risk of wildfires in the Ottawa Valley is currently low.
According to the ministry’s interactive wildfire map, the entire region is considered to be at low risk of wildfires for the moment, and there are no current active fires in the valley.
The 2026 wildfire season has been relatively mild for the Valley, with the most notable fire being a blaze that broke out south of Renfrew near the Hurds Lake area.
The ministry’s website says that fire ultimately grew to 6.8 hectares, and was extinguished in late April.
Other fires that broke out in the valley this year include a 4.2-hectare blaze south of Eganville that was extinguished in early May, a 1.2-hectare fire east of Paugh Lake and north of Barry’s Bay that was put out at the end of May, and a 0.7-hectare fire west of Petawawa that was also extinguished at the end of May.
Despite the fact no wildfires have directly threatened communities in the valley so far in 2026, air quality in the region has been noticeably impacted, with multiple air quality warnings being issued by Environment Canada over the summer across Renfrew County.
According to the ministry, as of August 12th, there are currently 44 active wildfires in the northeast fire management region, which includes the Ottawa Valley. Only one of those fires is currently out of control.
(Steve Berard)
