Fire appears to be out after consuming more than 125 hectares of marsh at Point Pelee
Parks Canada policies state natural fires should be left to burn
A massive blaze at Canada's southern-most national park appears to be out after turning at least 125 hectares of marshland to ash by 5 a.m.
Point Pelee National Park, just outside Leamington, Ont., was locked down Thursday as firefighters and parks staff worked to manage the blaze and protect the park's iconic boardwalk.
Leamington Fire Services said the fire appeared to be out around 11 a.m. and credited fire fighters, parks staff and the rain for beating down the flames.
The cause of the fire is not suspicious and it has been allowed to burn as Parks Canada policies call for natural fires to run their course.
"Anything that's natural like that, it's just part of the ecosystem, so that's why it's burned off," said Leamington fire Chief Chuck Parsons Wednesday night.
Fire PPNP appears out at this time thanks to the rain and a great job by firefighters and park staff. 141
—@LeamingtonFire1Residents who live near the park got as close as they could and took pictures of the flames lighting up the night sky. Some expressed concerns about the damage the fire could cause to the park.
"It's very sad to see natural habitat going up in flames," said Brooke Epp, who drove from Ruthven after her friend texted a photo of the fire, which was first reported around 7:45 p.m.
The roaring flames were visible from Kingsville Wednesday night and are expected to continue consuming marshland throughout Thursday.
The fire at Point Pelee was shared widely on social media. Check out some of the photos circulating throughout the night.
