So, the extraordinarily mild/warm and dry weather we've had here in Northeastern Ontario and Northern Michigan means that it's our turn to have a summer of extraordinarily high forest fire danger.

Here in Ontario, we've been under a Restricted Fire Zone order since 16 May, which prohibits all open burning.

On or about 20 May, somebody decided to start a campfire in a popular recreation area near Kirkland Lake anyway. That fire is now Kirkland Lake 8, currently the third-largest fire in the province. It's burned 2,326 hectares (about 5,800 acres), an area around 12km long and 2km wide (7½ x 1¼ mi), and got to within 3km/2mi of the town of Kirkland Lake before Fire Rangers put the brakes on it.

That's not even the biggest fire in the province. This distinction belongs to Timmins 9, seventeen times bigger at 39,518 ha (97,651 acres). The fire season is just getting started and we've already seen twice as many fires as an entire average year.

On the other side of the border in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, the Duck Lake fire near Newberry and Tahquamenon Falls is at 21,694 acres (8,780 ha). If the winds shift the right way you can smell the smoke from here. It's about 50 miles (80 km) to the west of us.

With all this going on, surely there is no way somebody can fail to be aware of the extreme fire hazard that the current situation presents. However, police have been laying a steady trickle of charges against people starting campfires, bonfires, and the occasional fool who burns down a couple of houses.

Thanksfully, rain has fallen over the last day or so, so things seem to be improving. Kirkland Lake 8 is Being Held; enough progress has been made in Timmins for them to lift their state of emergency, and the fire crews working on the Duck Lake fire should be able to make good headway today on account of the improved weather.

The town of Kirkland lake has some dramatic photos up, courtesy of one Perry Kong. More under the cut.

Well...winter is here, and like usual, the first few snowfalls are resulting in dozens of crashes as people forget their winter driving skills and neglect to take the slippery conditions into account.

In the spirit of a gentle reminder, then, here's a little screed that an officer at the local provincial police detachment attached to the end of a press release after a first snowfall a few years ago. While I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir when it comes to my flist, perhaps some of you might want to print it out and tape it up over the water cooler at work or something. =)

(edited to improve spelling, grammar, and presentation.)

SLOW DOWN --- SLOW DOWN --- SLOW DOWN --- SLOW DOWN

Every winter the OPP investigates numerous collisions that result in death, injuries and property damage that never did have to happen.

Every year we ask and tell the driving public to slow down and adjust your driving to the weather conditions when you see ice, snow, rain, fog or any other inclement weather.

Every winter we investigate collisions where the driving public ignores this tidbit of advice and are unnecessarily injured or killed because they insisted on travelling at or above the posted speed limit during an ice or snow storm.

Every winter, since the inception of time, we always get bad winter storms that make for hazardous driving conditions.

Every winter we will continue to call the tow trucks, ambulance, or funeral homes for body removal because YOU JUST WON'T SLOW DOWN!!!

This winter let's do our collective best to prove us wrong!!!

SLOW DOWN IN BAD WEATHER AND LIVE TO SEE ANOTHER DAY!

I own a company. I drive back and forth to work at 300 km/h (185 mph) every day because I like how much time it saves me and how much more work I get done at the office.

One day I wrap my car around a lamppost. The police give me a stern lecture on how wrong it was to be driving the way I was, then buy me a new car, since if I can't drive to work a whole bunch of people will be out of a job.

...but it's even moreso when your smoking area is right next to a gas meter.