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6d ago

Canada Battles Nearly 1,000 Wildfires as Ontario Blazes Expand to 735,000 Hectares

Extreme heat, lightning strikes, dry conditions have overwhelmed provincial fire capacity, prompting urgent calls for a coordinated national fire strategy.

Smoke rises from the Signal Hill wildfire in Pemberton, British Columbia, Canada July 18, 2026. REUTERS/Chris Helgren
Smoke rises from the Signal Hill wildfire in Pemberton, B.C., Saturday. Nearly 1,000 fires were active across the country Sunday.
The Whitewater Lake First Nation community is seen after it was destroyed by a wildfire, during a flight over the area which is 250 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada July 18, 2026. Nishnawbe Aski Nation/Handout via REUTERS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES.
Chopper 5 captures burning wildfires near Ely on July 14, 2026.

Overview

  • The national wildland fire summary shows roughly 930–1,000 active fires on Monday with more than 200 out of control and an estimated cumulative burn area in the multi‑million hectare range.
  • Ontario’s fires grew to about 735,000 hectares from roughly 650,000 over the weekend, leaving roughly 1,800 people evacuated and 190 active blazes of which about 56 remain uncontrolled.
  • Federal and provincial authorities have mobilized more than 5,000 firefighters, nearly 300 aircraft, Canadian Armed Forces support and international help but access limits and remote terrain are constraining containment efforts.
  • Several remote First Nations communities have been destroyed or heavily damaged and Indigenous leaders say evacuation warnings and firefighting support were insufficient, deepening criticism of provincial response.
  • Thick smoke has degraded air quality across parts of Canada and the U.S. Midwest, provoking political tension with Washington that included President Trump raising the prospect of tariffs and renewed calls for a national strategy at this week’s premiers’ meeting.