A large stretch of Highway 17 between Mattawa and Petawawa reopened early Saturday after closing Friday because of poor visibility due to smoke from nearby brush fires.

The Ontario Provincial Police said smoke from that fire severely reduced visibility, making the road unsafe for driving. Nearing 9:30 p.m., OPP had closed around 130 kilometres of highway.

There was no information available as to the cause of the brush fire.

Drivers were advised to take a detour on Highways 11 and 60, essentially going the other way around Algonquin Provincial Park, to avoid the stretch of closed road. </s> Smoke from a brush fire is creating visibility issues along Highway 17 near Mattawa, Ont.

The highway is closed between Mattawa and Petawawa, Ont. according to Ontario Provincial Police.

There is risk of fire hazard along the highway according to an OPP twitter account, but the severity is unknown.

Traffic is being rerouted to Highway 11 for eastbound traffic and Highway 60 for westbound traffic.

Police are not sure when the highway will reopen. </s> A large stretch of Highway 17 between Mattawa and Petawawa was closed Friday as authorities battled a large brush fire.

The Ontario Provincial Police said smoke from that fire had severely reduced visibility, making the road unsafe for driving. Nearing 9:30 p.m., OPP had closed around 130 kilometres of highway.

There was no information available as to the cause of the brush fire.

Drivers were advised to take a detour on Highways 11 and 60, essentially going the other way around Algonquin Provincial Park, to avoid the stretch of closed road.

It was not known when the highway would re-open. </s> The Ontario Provincial Police are advising that the Trans-Canada Highway east of Mattawa has been reopened following an overnight closure.

Highway 17 had been closed around Bissett Creek because of smoke and a fire hazard. No detours were available at the time.

Forest fires throughout the Northeast region have caused significant smoke drifts and fire hazards. A large fire around Key Harbour recently sparked an evacuation of an area containing around 50 homes. </s> Forest fires near Bissett Creek have once more closed Highway 17.

Friday night the highway was closed with detours in place at Paquette Road west of Petawawa and Brent Road near Deux-Rivières.

Ministry of Transportation has not given a timeline for when the highway will re-open. According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry tonight, a fire is burning north of Grant Creek in close vicinity to the highway has grown to 40 hectares. Another major fire about 10 kilometres south of Bissett Creek near the Renfrew/Nipissing border has grown to 180 hectares. Stay with the Observer for details as they develop. </s> STONECLIFFE - Officials continue to grapple with major forest fires in the northern half of Renfrew County and Algonquin Park this weekend with smoke causing the shut down of Highway 17 between Deep River and Mattawa on several occasions.

Since Wednesday, fires have burned through wooded areas in Head, Clara, Maria Township with the largest blaze consuming 180 hectares south of Christopher Robin Lake, about 12 kilometres south of Bissett Creek. Another fire covering an area of 40 hectares has been burning in close proximity to Grant's Creek Provincial Park and just west of Highway 17.

Columns of smoke forced Ontario Provincial Police to close the highway Friday as aerial operations were also being conducted to combat the conflagration. The highway reopened Saturday morning. The outlook is not promising at least for the next few days.

“These fires will continue to be active in the coming days,” said Isabelle Chenard, Ministry of Natural Resources fire information officer for North East Region.

There are also three fires in Algonquin Park, about 40 kilometres west of Petawawa. One blaze, which currently is covering seven hectares, is situated at Tarn Lake. A smaller fire, northwest of Grand Lake, has been contained to half a hectare. Another half hectare fire broke out in the park north of Thrush Lake Saturday.

Meanwhile, aerial operations have involved the deployment of helicopters and twin otter water bombers with some being staged out of the Pembroke and Area Airport in Petawawa. Chenard added that boaters using area lakes and the Ottawa River in close proximity to the fires should be aware of aircraft landing to pick up water loads. Should they hear a siren blaring, boaters and water users should move to shore while the aircraft makes its landing, she advised.

Despite the lack of rainfall and major storms, Chenard said the cause for these recent fires is suspected to be lightning. Between June 29 and July 18, there have been 239,000 lightning strikes in the province. Currently there are 65 fires in the north east region alone with 33 not yet under control. Dry conditions are also not helping.

“It's a very good environment for fires to start,” she said noting campers should consult with parks and municipalities to see if fire bans are in place. “It is hot and dry and the fire hazard is high to extreme.”

While MNR expects significant smoke to cover the Highway 17 corridor again, motorists are asked to consult the Ministry of Transportation's 511 website at: 511on.ca. </s> Satellite pictures show how Alberta’s wildfires stretch across the country as the fires continue to burn, threatening the homes of thousands of people.

At least 10,000 people have been evacuated from regions across Northern Alberta as the blazes continue to burn. Across the province, there were 28 active fires and nine were considered out of control.

READ MORE: 10,000 people forced out, 15 homes destroyed by Alberta wildfires

There are three major fires threatening communities, including the far northwestern Chuckegg Creek wildfire near High Level, the Battle Complex wildfire further south near Manning in the Peace River region, and the Mcmillan Complex wildfire affecting several communities north of Slave Lake.

Over May long weekend, the High Level fire grew in size, and all three were clearly visible from space — and remained contained to their own regions.

As the week continued, the smoke spread across the country, drifting across Saskatchewan, Manitoba and into parts of western Ontario.

Global News’ Chief Meteorologist Anthony Farnell explained that while the brighter white is clouds, the darker grey haze comes from the wildfires and can be seen extending around the country.

NASA Worldview of Central Canada on May 30, 2019.

In Edmonton and Calgary, the sky remains hazy as of Friday afternoon. Residents in Winnipeg, Manitoba said they could smell smoke as of Thursday.

According to FireSmoke Canada, northern U.S. cities such as Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Chicago, Detroit and Kansas City are also obscured by smoke.

Dramatic aerial footage, meanwhile, shows smoke billowing up over a long range in Alberta.

The smoke can cause health problems when inhaled, affecting your lungs, your heart and possibly even your mental health.

With wildfire season raging, those affected by smoke can take several steps to protect themselves.

Options include regularly checking air quality reports, exercising indoors, and keeping the air in homes clean by running an air conditioner — so long as you close the fresh-air intake and clean the filter to keep smoke from penetrating where you live, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

READ MORE: Wildfire smoke can harm your lungs, your heart, and maybe even your mental health: research </s> Thick smoke settled into southern Alberta Thursday, and continued to stifle air quality on Friday.

Thursday evening, the air quality health index in Calgary jumped from a 4 to 10 in a matter of three hours.

READ MORE: Wildfire smoke can harm your lungs, your heart, and maybe even your mental health: research

By Friday morning at 11 a.m., the AQHI had launched off the charts and to a score of 18.

According to Environment Canada’s Health Index, physical exertion and strenuous activities outdoors should be limited or avoided, especially for children, elderly and anyone with respiratory illnesses while the numbers are so high.

Large sections of northern Alberta are being consumed by wildfires and almost every day has brought new advisories and orders.

The fires are burning in multiple areas hundreds of kilometres apart, triggering evacuations of several communities in northwestern and north-central Alberta.

Here is a summary of the existing alerts and orders across Alberta.

Traffic issues such a road closures are posted to the Alberta 511 government website.

The smoke travelled farther south, prompting Environment Canada to expand special air quality statements to include the entire southern portion of Alberta.

READ MORE: Alberta wildfires: Evacuation alerts and orders in place across the province

Winds will continue blowing from the south over the weekend, which should help improve conditions in southern Alberta.

To stay updated with weather alerts in your area, download the Global News Skytracker weather app for iPhone, iPad or Android.

IN PICTURES: Smoke as seen from viewers around southern Alberta

READ MORE: Smoke from the Alberta wildfires is obscuring the sun in several U.S. cities

Refer to the Government of Alberta Air Quality Health Index website for the most current AQHI rating in your area. </s> A firefighter in western Newfoundland says a grass fire in Little Rapids on Sunday evening was started by a cigarette butt thrown from a car driving on the Trans-Canada Highway.

Shawn Leamon, who's deputy fire chief with Steady Brook-Little Rapids fire department, got the call around 5 p.m. Sunday to tend to a fire in the small community. The fire was on a grass patch between the highway and Marble Drive, a main road in the community.

Leamon said after looking at the burn patterns, it's clear that the fire was started on the TCH side, and figures it came from a cigarette butt that was thrown from a vehicle on the highway.

"It's the only logical cause," said Leamon who adds that the weather had been extremely dry for a couple weeks before the day of the fire.

Leamon said he notices people throwing cigarette butts out of their vehicles quite often as a he drives from Little Rapids to Corner Brook.

"I see it quite regularly. People driving down the highway, and that lit cigarette butt."

He said thanks to quick reaction from someone driving by the scene, who called 911, the firefighters were able to handle the situation fast, but the wind was high, and the fire had already jumped over a small brook.

No butts about it

If the fire had spread across the street it could have threatened a local business, Rapid Power Motor Sports, and the merchandise parked outside, Leamon said.

"ATVs, snowmobiles, RVs, and campers and all kinds of different things — and they've all got gasoline and things into them."

Leamon said it was a senseless act of littering that caused the fire and people should think twice about throwing cigarette butts to the ground.

"We're only a year away from Fort McMurray fire — and, we don't need anything like that in our neighbourhood."
Smoke from a brush fire reduces visibility and the OPP temporarily closes a 130-kilometre section of Ontario Highway 17 between Mattawa and Petawawa, the primary route of the Trans-Canada Highway through the province.