A forest fire near Centennial Lake, west of Ottawa and southeast of Algonquin Park, has prompted an evacuation warning for residents in the area from the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

The police force said on Twitter Sunday evening they were “advising of potential for evacuation of residents in the Centennial Lake area.”

Residents are not yet under an evacuation order, but are being advised to prepare to leave the area on short notice.

Centennial Lake, located in Greater Madawaska, Ont., is near the village of Matawatchan, about halfway between the cottage towns of Bancroft and Calabogie.

The cause of the fire is yet to be determined. 

Most of northeastern and northwestern Ontario remain under a fire ban due to the risk of forest fires, meaning open fires or the burning of grass or debris are temporarily banned.

This fire comes as firefighters across the border in northwestern Quebec battle hundreds of blazes which have forced thousands from their homes, while last week, a wildfire swept through the Halifax area in Nova Scotia, destroying some 200 structures.