UPDATED: Forest fire threatens Red Lake, evacuation continues
Ontario's Minister of Northern Development and Mines says the evacuation of Red Lake is continuing today as a massive fire threatens the community. The fire has temporarily suspended Pure Gold's operations. The blaze has moved eastward from its origin near Madsen and is now three km south of Red Lake and three km west of Highway 105.
Greg Rickford says the province has been working with area communities to ensure everyone gets out safely. The Kenora-Rainy River MPP has told local media that the situation is quite dangerous.
Rickford says Ear Falls, Dryden, Thunder Bay and other communities are accepting evacuees.
As of late Tuesday, there were about 1,500 people in a community of roughly 4,100 still in the Red Lake area.
Red Lake Mayor Fred Mota says hundreds of evacuees from Red Lake arrived in Thunder Bay late Tuesday afternoon.
The mayor says the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC) is coordinating a series of flights for residents of Red Lake, which is under threat from a huge forest fire burning just a few kilometres away.
Close to half the population of 4,100 in the historic mining town was believed to have left the community by late Tuesday morning.
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