THUNDER BAY — Ontario is confronting a rapidly changing wildfire emergency, with nearly 190 fires burning across the North, dozens of communities threatened and thousands of residents affected by evacuations, smoke and transportation disruptions.
In Thunder Bay on Saturday, Premier Doug Ford, Emergency Preparedness and Response Minister Jill Dunlop and Natural Resources Minister Mike Harris said more than 150 fire crews and over 80 waterbombers and helicopters were involved in the response. Eighty-one fires were classified as not under control, while 10 communities had evacuated or were being evacuated and four others were preparing for a possible evacuation.
The situation matters directly to Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario. The city is receiving evacuees, regional hotels have reached capacity, major highways and rail corridors have been disrupted and several First Nations remain exposed to fires that can spread with little warning.
Province Says Saving Lives and Evacuating Communities Are the Priorities
Ford said the government’s immediate priority is moving people out of threatened communities and protecting firefighters, emergency personnel and critical infrastructure.
The premier praised emergency responders for preventing loss of life despite the speed and intensity of several fires. By Saturday, Ford said the area affected by fires across Ontario had reached approximately 655,000 hectares. He also said ministers had been told there was no spending limit when public safety was at risk.
Provincial fire officials are not attempting to suppress every remote fire at the same time. Available crews and aircraft are being directed toward communities, infrastructure and fires where containment efforts are most likely to succeed. Ontario says protecting people, firefighters, property and essential infrastructure remains the operational priority.
Fire Near Namaygoosisagagun Spread at Extraordinary Speed
The briefing addressed criticism surrounding the evacuation of Namaygoosisagagun First Nation, also known as Collins First Nation, where residents fled by boat as flames approached.
Harris said the fire began close to the community and was moving at approximately four kilometres an hour. He described that rate of spread as highly unusual and said only a few hours passed between the fire being detected and its arrival at the community.
Community members went door to door before residents escaped with their pets. Chief Helen Paavola told CBC, as reported by Reuters, that the community was destroyed in less than an hour.
The incident demonstrates the limited warning time available when extreme heat, dry forest fuels and high winds combine. It also highlights the risks facing remote communities that have few roads, limited aircraft access and communications systems vulnerable to fire or power failures.
First Nations Leaders Continue to Raise Concerns
First Nations leaders have criticized parts of the provincial and federal response, particularly the bureaucratic processes involved in obtaining aircraft, accommodations, transportation and emergency funding.
The Chiefs of Ontario has called for the removal of jurisdictional and administrative barriers, full evacuation and health supports, direct collaboration with First Nation leadership and additional resources for communities protecting their own residents and lands.
Those concerns remain important even as provincial ministers communicate directly with chiefs behind the scenes. The measure of the response will be whether communities receive timely aircraft, reliable information, safe accommodations, medical services and financial support.
Remote evacuations are more complicated than moving residents from a road-access community. Aircraft may need to operate on short or unpaved runways through heavy smoke, while elders, children and people with medical or mobility needs require additional assistance.
Federal Aircraft Supporting Fort Hope Evacuation
Ontario formally requested federal assistance as the number of threatened communities increased. The request included possible Canadian Armed Forces support for air evacuations and emergency logistics.
Federal officials subsequently confirmed that military aircraft would assist with the evacuation of Fort Hope, also known as Eabametoong First Nation. The fly-in community is in an area experiencing some of Northwestern Ontario’s most serious fire activity.
Canadian Armed Forces support for domestic disasters operates under Operation LENTUS. Military assistance can include aircraft, personnel, equipment, logistical planning and airfield co-ordination when provincial, territorial or local capacity is insufficient.
The federal involvement does not replace Ontario’s responsibility for managing the emergency. It adds specialized aircraft and personnel to a province-led response.
Thunder Bay Emergency Operations Centre Activated
The City of Thunder Bay activated its Emergency Operations Centre to co-ordinate municipal resources and prepare for the continued arrival of evacuees.
The city stressed that activating the centre does not mean Thunder Bay is facing an immediate wildfire threat or preparing to evacuate. It allows city departments, emergency services and partner organizations to share information and plan for changing regional conditions.
Many evacuees are already being supported in Thunder Bay, and the city said local hotels had reached capacity. That creates pressure on accommodations, transportation, health care, emergency services, food programs and culturally appropriate supports.
Thunder Bay is one of several host communities. Ford said evacuees were also being accommodated in Kenora, Sudbury, Niagara Falls and Toronto.
The duration of the evacuations remains uncertain. Residents may be unable to return until fires no longer threaten their communities and essential services such as power, water, airports and communications are operating safely.
Ontario Faces Questions About Staffing and Preparedness
The provincial briefing also addressed criticism from the union representing wildland firefighters, pilots and support staff.
The Ontario Public Service Employees Union said Ontario had approximately 153 fire crews available but required at least 250 to respond adequately to increasingly severe seasons. Ford responded that the province added 68 permanent positions before the 2026 fire season. The Ministry of Natural Resources did not tell The Canadian Press whether all those positions had been filled.
Ford also defended the province’s $150-million initial emergency forest-fire allocation, saying Ontario routinely spends more when conditions require it.
The distinction matters. The province is not limited to its original allocation and can approve emergency spending. However, base funding affects advance hiring, training, aircraft maintenance and preparedness before severe conditions develop.
Ontario said it had about 120 aircraft available for firefighting, including 25 ministry-owned aircraft and 80 contracted aircraft. Its provincial fleet includes nine waterbombers and eight helicopters. Alberta also sent personnel and 13 aircraft, including two waterbombers.
Weather May Bring Limited Relief
Harris said fire activity had started to slow and more favourable weather was expected over the following several days.
Rain, cooler temperatures and increased humidity could help reduce fire intensity and allow crews to make progress. However, those conditions will not immediately extinguish the largest fires or eliminate the need for evacuation orders.
Large wildfires can continue burning in deep organic material, sheltered forest areas and dry ground fuels even after surface conditions improve.
New lightning could also start additional fires, while smoke may prevent crews from detecting or reaching them quickly.
Situation Remains Serious Despite Full-Scale Response
Ontario’s July 17 press conference showed the scale of the government response but also the limits confronting emergency officials.
Crews and aircraft are deployed, federal resources have been requested and communities across the province are hosting evacuees. At the same time, uncontrolled fires continue to threaten First Nations, transportation corridors and essential infrastructure.
