Wildfire Evacuation Readiness: What Thunder Bay Residents Need to Know

THUNDER BAY — Over the past days, seeing images of wildfires in Collins, Armstrong and Whitesand, as well as the thick smoke in the air, the power of nature over human activity is very apparent. Wildfires can cause enormous damage and disrupt lives.

Being prepared for any kind of emergency is simply smart home and family leadership.

With railways cutting through our city, the potential of a dangerous derailment is possible, and could cause a need for action if some dangerous chemicals were involved in a derailment.

This week on social media there is a lot of misinformation, and a fair amount of dramatic posts.

While the City of Thunder Bay is currently under a Fire Ban, meaning no outdoor burning, including charcoal barbecues and fire pits. Burning permits are suspended.

Thunder Bay is not at this time subject to an evacuation.

First off, right now the nearest fires to the City are fairly small and if they headed toward the City or heavily populated areas, it is certain that the full scope of firefighting efforts would be directed to deal with the fires.

Wildfires have triggered evacuation orders and alerts across Northwestern Ontario, with Thunder Bay receiving residents from Armstrong, Whitesand First Nation and Collins First Nation.

Communities including Upsala, Lac des Mille Lacs First Nation, Ignace and Atikokan have also been under evacuation alerts, while crews are responding to fires near Nolalu and South Gillies.

The City of Thunder Bay says there is no immediate threat to Thunder Bay, but conditions can change quickly, making household preparation important before an evacuation order is issued.

What Thunder Bay’s official evacuation plan says

The Emergency Response Plan currently linked from the City of Thunder Bay’s emergency-planning webpage was revised in October 2021. It is an all-hazards plan covering forest fires, floods, severe weather, hazardous-material incidents and other major emergencies. It is not a wildfire-specific map showing predetermined evacuation routes for every neighbourhood.

The City’s approved 2026 budget says Thunder Bay Fire Rescue is working to finalize and operationalize an updated emergency plan incorporating the Incident Management System, stronger Emergency Operations Centre procedures, training and exercises. At the time of publication, however, the 2021 document remains the plan available through the City’s public emergency-planning page.

Under the publicly posted plan, the mayor — identified in the document as the head of council — may order people out of a danger zone during a formal emergency when an evacuation is warranted and recommended by experts in the Municipal Emergency Control Group.

That control group would co-ordinate the municipal response through an Emergency Operations Centre. Its responsibilities include assessing the danger, allocating municipal resources, obtaining outside assistance and establishing an information centre to provide authoritative instructions to residents and news organizations.

Thunder Bay Police Service would normally be responsible for carrying out an authorized evacuation, controlling traffic, securing the evacuated area and providing security at reception centres.

Thunder Bay Fire Rescue could assume the lead role in some situations, particularly when immediate action is required before a formal order can be completed.

For a forest fire outside city limits, the Ministry of Natural Resources would provide the preliminary alert, direct provincial firefighting operations and help determine evacuation routes with municipal officials and the Ontario Provincial Police. If the ministry ordered the evacuation, it would also authorize the eventual return of residents.

There is no single route or permanent reception centre

Thunder Bay’s plan does not identify one citywide evacuation route or guarantee that a particular arena, community centre or school will always be used as a reception centre.
Reception centres would be selected in safe areas according to the location of the fire, wind direction, smoke, road conditions and the safety of available routes. The boundaries of an evacuation zone would be chosen so officials could describe them clearly to affected residents.

That means residents should not automatically drive to a familiar recreation centre or follow a route used during an earlier emergency. The official evacuation notice should identify the affected area, the safest route and the reception or registration location.

The City’s plan says its emergency information officer would use electronic media to alert residents and explain evacuation routes and reception-centre locations. The City’s public guidance also tells residents to monitor local radio and television and avoid unnecessary telephone calls that could overload communications systems.

Emergency alerts may also be distributed through Ontario’s Alert Ready system to compatible wireless devices and through radio and television. Residents should not rely on only one source of information, particularly during power, internet or cellular outages.

Evacuation or protection in place

The municipal plan requires officials to consider whether keeping people indoors — described as “protect in-place” — would be safer than moving them.

Under such an instruction, residents would be told to enter a sound building, close doors and windows and shut down ventilation, heating or cooling systems that could draw contaminated outdoor air inside.

The option may be used when evacuation would expose people to greater danger or when safe evacuation cannot immediately be completed.

Residents should not decide on their own to remain behind when an evacuation has been ordered. Ontario’s wildfire safety guidance says anyone instructed to evacuate by emergency officials should do so immediately.

Prepare a 72-hour evacuation kit now

The City is urging residents to prepare a portable kit containing enough essentials for at least 72 hours. The kit should be kept where it can be reached quickly rather than scattered through closets, cupboards and storage rooms.

A practical wildfire evacuation kit should contain:

Drinking water and non-perishable food.
Prescription medication, copies of prescriptions and basic medical information.
Identification, insurance information and copies of important documents.
Clothing, sturdy footwear, toiletries and blankets.
A first-aid kit, flashlight and battery-powered or hand-crank radio.
A charged power bank, charging cables and spare batteries.
Cash in smaller denominations in case electronic payment systems are unavailable.
Respirators such as well-fitting N95 or KN95 masks for periods of heavy wildfire smoke.
Supplies required by infants, older adults or household members with disabilities or medical needs.

Health Canada recommends planning for access to medication, cleaner indoor air and properly fitted respirators during wildfire smoke events.

People with heart or lung conditions, older adults, infants, young children, pregnant people and those working outdoors may face greater health risks from smoke.

Make a household evacuation plan

Every household should identify at least two safe destinations: one nearby and another outside the immediate community.

Families should also choose an out-of-area contact who can receive updates when local networks are congested. Ontario recommends planning two possible places to stay in case a home or larger area must be evacuated.

Household members should know:

How they will leave the home
Who will collect children or assist older relatives
Where they will meet if separated
How they will communicate if cellular service fails
What arrangements apply at schools, daycares and workplaces
Who will help anyone unable to drive or evacuate independently

People who rely on oxygen equipment, powered mobility devices, refrigerated medication or other electrical medical supports should plan for backup power and transportation before an emergency develops. Copies of medical information and caregiver contacts should be included in the evacuation kit.

The City advises keeping a vehicle emergency kit and maintaining at least half a tank of fuel.

Federal wildfire guidance recommends fully fuelling the vehicle when conditions are worsening, parking it facing out of the driveway and keeping the windows closed so the household can leave without delay.

Pet owners should arrange an alternative to a reception centre

Thunder Bay’s public emergency-planning page says pets are not permitted at reception centres and advises residents to leave them indoors with food and water for two or three days. Federal guidance updated in 2026 takes a different approach, stating that bringing a pet is generally the best way to protect it during an evacuation. It also warns that many public shelters accept only service animals.

Pet owners should therefore prepare a carrier, leash, food, water, medication and identification and make advance arrangements with a pet-friendly hotel, boarding facility, veterinary clinic, friend or relative.

During an actual evacuation, residents must follow the current instructions issued for the designated reception centre because animal arrangements could differ according to the emergency.

Reduce the danger around the home — when it is safe

Before a fire approaches, residents can reduce the likelihood that embers will ignite a building by clearing leaves, needles and combustible debris from roofs, gutters, decks and the area immediately beside the home. Firewood, patio furniture, propane barbecues and other combustible items should be moved away from buildings.

These jobs should be completed well before an evacuation becomes necessary. Residents should never delay leaving to water a roof, clear vegetation, collect possessions or attempt to defend a property when an evacuation order has been issued.

Thunder Bay’s regional role

Thunder Bay is not only preparing for possible local impacts. It is also a transportation, health-service and accommodation hub for communities forced to evacuate from remote and northern areas.

The current arrival of residents from Armstrong, Whitesand First Nation and Collins First Nation follows previous operations in which Thunder Bay’s airport, municipal services and emergency partners supported evacuees from First Nations threatened by wildfires. In 2025, for example, the airport was used as a transfer hub during the evacuation of Kasabonika Lake First Nation.

Those operations can place additional pressure on hotels, health services, transportation providers and social-service agencies. They also underline the importance of culturally appropriate support for Indigenous evacuees who may be separated from their communities for extended periods.

For Thunder Bay residents, the central message is to prepare before smoke, flames or an evacuation alert reaches the neighbourhood. Keep the vehicle ready, pack essential medication and documents, arrange help for vulnerable household members and pets, and wait for officials to identify the safe route and reception location.

As of the City’s latest update, Thunder Bay is not under immediate threat. That assessment may change as winds, temperatures and fire behaviour evolve, and residents should continue monitoring official City and provincial information.