Round Lake, Ontario

05/30/2026

🚨 RENFREW COUNTY FIRE CALL SUMMARY – LAST 24 HOURS 🚨

Fire departments across Renfrew County responded to a total of 143 calls over the past 24 hours as crews dealt with a busy mix of storm-related incidents, grass fires, hydro line calls, alarms, MVCs, and public assists.

📍 Call totals by township/department area:

• Madawaska Valley – 33 calls
• Killaloe, Hagerty & Richards – 19 calls
• North Algona Wilberforce – 13 calls
• Deep River – 13 calls
• Whitewater Region – 11 calls
• Petawawa – 8 calls
• Bonnechere Valley – 7 calls
• Laurentian Valley – 7 calls
• Brudenell, Lyndoch & Raglan – 7 calls
• Laurentian Hills – 7 calls
• Horton – 4 calls
• Greater Madawaska – 4 calls
• Douglas – 3 calls
• Algonquins of Pikwakanagan – 3 calls
• Pembroke – 2 calls
• Renfrew County / Mutual Aid – 2 calls

A large number of calls involved:
⚠️ Hydro lines down
🔥 Grass, bush, and forest fires
🚨 Fire alarms and CO alarms
🚗 MVCs and rescue calls
🌲 Trees on power lines due to storm conditions

Thank you to all firefighters, dispatchers, hydro crews, EMS, police, and public works staff working around the clock to keep communities safe.
📍 Pembroke
• Fire alarm and smoke visible – Lake St
• Fire alarm – Pembroke St E (Staples)

📍 Madawaska Valley
• Hydro lines down and burning – Paw Lake Rd & Trubinsky Rd
• Multiple forest fires – Pog Lake Rd & Trubinsky Rd
• Grass fires caused by hydro lines – Paw Lake Rd & Wilno North Rd
• Bush fire – Wilno Sky Dr
• Hydro lines down – Paw Lake Rd
• Hydro line sparking with flames – Spectacle Lake Rd
• Hydro line down and arcing – Siberia Rd
• Flames and smoke visible – Siberia Rd
• Smoke/hydro lines down – Long Lake Rd
• Additional manpower requests – Long Lake Rd
• Tree and bush fire – Pog Lake Rd
• Bushfire – Pog Lake Rd
• HazMat tanker/truck request – Long Lake Rd

📍 Killaloe, Hagerty & Richards
• Hydro line down and smoking – Eno Rd
• Structure/fire calls – Sunrise Rd
• Bushfire spreading – Buck Hill Rd
• Large forest fire – Buck Hill Rd & Simpson Pit Rd
• Bushfire – Simpson Pit Rd
• Bushfire – Paul Lake Rd & White Mountain Chute Trail
• Hydro lines down – Rosek Rd & Scenic Rd
• Hydro lines down – Division Rd
• Fire alarm – Round Lake Rd
• Tree on hydro line – Fires Creek Rd
• Multiple smoke/fire calls – Bear Trail Rd area
• Traffic call requiring manpower – Bear Trail Rd
• Hydro issue – O’Grady Settlement Rd & Doyle Mountain Rd

📍 North Algona Wilberforce
• Grass fire – Island View Dr
• Bushfire – Island View Dr
• Hydro line down with flames – Island View Dr
• Hydro lines down – Tremor Rd & Kilby Rd
• Tree on hydro pole – Bulger Rd
• Hydroline bushfire – Mask Rd & Hwy 60
• Hydro line – Muskie Lane
• Power line/tree smoking – Lake Dore Rd

📍 Whitewater Region
• Tree on fire – Service Rd & Butternut Lane
• Hydro lines down – Old Mill Bridge Rd & Westmeath Rd
• Bushfire – Beechburg Rd & Jamison Cres
• Grass/field fire – Hwy 17
• Ditch fire beside hydro pole – Davidson Rd
• Trees/power lines down – Dupuis Line
• Fire alarm – Point Trail
• Tree on power line – Cameron St

📍 Bonnechere Valley
• CO alarms – Mill St
• Tree across hydro line on fire – Weiland Shore Rd
• Trees on hydro line – Weiland Shore Rd
• Tree on hydro lines – Marchant-Cairns Rd

📍 Brudenell, Lyndoch & Raglan
• Trees on hydro line/fire – Cameron Lake Rd
• Bushfire – Chute Rd area
• Mutual aid – Mayo Lake Rd & White Birch Lane
• Hydro line sparking – Rochefort Rd
• Tree on hydro line – Burns Trail

📍 Laurentian Valley
• Hydro lines down – Ron’s Rd & Round Lake Rd
• Tree on hydro line smoking – Haseley Bay Dr & Hwy 148
• Hydro line – Pembroke St E & Hwy 148
• Bushfire – Wilson Rd
• Tree on power line – German Rd & Round Lake Rd
• Hydro line smoking – Doran Rd

📍 Laurentian Hills
• Power line down and burning – Ch Des Joachims area
• Smell of smoke – Wiley Rd & Keene Rd
• Hydro line with flames – Frog Lane & Bass Lake Rd

📍 Petawawa
• Forest fire – Black Bay Rd
• CO alarm – McNamara St
• Fire alarm – Newport Dr
• Grass fire – Doran Rd

📍 Deep River
• Smoke alarm – Beach Ave
• Locked door rescue – Balmer Bay Rd
• Smoke alarm – Huron St
• Backyard fire – Chadwick Dr

📍 Horton
• Fire alarms – Jamison Lane
• Tree on hydro line on fire – River Rd

📍 Greater Madawaska
• Bushfire – Murphy Rd
• Hydro lines down with flames – Murphy Rd

📍 Douglas
• Automatic crash notification – Hwy 132
• Tree/hydro line fire – English Rd

📍 Algonquins of Pikwakanagan
• Bushfire restarted – Inuneteg
• Hydro line/bushfire – old tracks near Mishomis area

🔥 Total Calls Logged: 143

04/28/2026

It’s occurring in the area off Round Lake Rd on Deer Trail Rd.

02/27/2026

THE MEAL THAT KILLS.
You look out your window in February and see a herd of deer struggling through deep snow. Their ribs are showing. Their coats look rough.
Your heart breaks. You drive to the farm store, buy a 50lb bag of corn, and dump it in the yard.
You think you just saved them.
You may have just killed them.
You can kill a deer with a full stomach. In the dead of winter, a pile of corn isn't a lifeline; it is a physiological gr***de.

The Myth of "High-Energy Help"
We assume that calories are calories. We think that because deer eat corn in October, they can eat it in February.
The Biological Reality: A deer is not a simple stomach; it is a fermentation vat.
The rumen (the first stomach chamber) relies on a specific population of bacteria and protozoa to digest food. These microbes are highly specialized.

In Summer/Fall: The rumen is populated by microbes that digest starch and sugars (corn, apples, grass).

In Winter: The deer’s physiology shifts. The "starch" microbes die off, replaced by "cellulolytic" microbes designed to break down woody fiber (twigs, bark, cedar, hemlock).

The Scientific Reality: Acute Rumen Acidosis
When you introduce a pile of corn to a deer adapted to winter browse, you trigger a catastrophe.

The Shock: The winter microbes cannot process the high starch content of the corn.

The Bloom: Instead, opportunistic bacteria (like Streptococcus bovis) explode in population, fermenting the corn into Lactic Acid.

The Burn: The pH of the rumen crashes (becoming highly acidic). This acid burns the stomach lining, kills the healthy gut flora, and dehydrates the animal as water is pulled from the blood to dilute the acid.
The Result: The deer dies of toxic shock or dehydration within 24–72 hours, often found dead directly beside the pile of food that killed it. This is known as Corn Toxicity or Grain Overload.

What is Happening Right Now (February)
Right now, deer are in their deepest state of metabolic conservation.

The "Walking Hibernation": Their metabolism has slowed by nearly 50%. They are designed to lose weight. Seeing ribs in February is visibly alarming to humans, but biologically normal for northern deer.

The Fatal Gesture: This is the month when well-meaning humans do the most damage. The "rescue" pile of grain you put out today hits a stomach that hasn't seen starch in 60 days.

Why This Matters Ecologically
Feeding concentrates (corn/pellets) artificially congregates deer.
This density creates a vector for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) and ticks. It creates a "feeding zoo" where saliva is swapped on the corn pile, spreading prions that can decimate the herd for generations.
Furthermore, it alters migration patterns, keeping deer in areas that cannot support them naturally.

Practical Action: The "Hinge Cut"
If you want to help deer in February, do not open a bag. Open the canopy.

Put the Corn Away: If you haven't been feeding them gradually since November, do not start now. It is too late to transition their stomachs safely.

Drop a Tree: If you own land, perform a "hinge cut" on a Red Maple, Dogwood, or Cedar. Cut the tree halfway through and push it over so it stays alive but brings the buds down to deer level. This provides high-quality woody browse—the exact fuel their winter bacteria crave.

Clear a Path: If snow is deep, simply packing a trail with snowshoes or a shovel helps them conserve massive amounts of energy while moving to natural food sources.

The Verdict
A full belly is not always a mercy.
Nature has tightened the belt for a reason.
Keep the corn in the barn. Let the winter stomach do its winter work.

Scientific References & Evidence
Physiology: Pennsylvania Game Commission. "Winter Feeding of Deer." (Explains the mechanics of rumen acidosis and the microbial shift in winter).

Veterinary Pathology: Woolf, A., & Kradel, D. (1977). "Occurrence of rumenitis in deer fed corn." Journal of Wildlife Diseases. (Documents the lethal effects of sudden grain introduction).

Ecology: New Hampshire Fish and Game. "More Harm Than Good." (Details the risks of CWD transmission at artificial feeding sites).

01/21/2026

Tonight we held a special award ceremony to honor the dedication and commitment of our firefighters. Pins were presented to recognize milestones ranging from 5 years to an impressive 42 years of service. It's a proud moment for all of us to celebrate the hard work and loyalty of our team members who have devoted so many years to keeping our community safe.
We will post more when our camera photos come in recognizing each crew member and pin.

01/11/2026

01/02/2026

Heads up to our local snowmobiling community: Camp Mishewah offers free Wi-Fi during the off-season for those passing through.

It’s intended for short use, especially for emergency communication. Support and bandwidth are limited, so we appreciate everyone using it responsibly.

Happy New Year and safe travels!

Round Lake Community, Killaloe, Ontario

12/17/2025

Heads up KHR. Please view updated holiday hours!

12/16/2025