Overview
- Ministers said Tuesday that Ontario has 152 active wildfires with 12 classified as out of control and that more than 700,000 hectares have burned, making this the province’s largest season on record.
- The Thunder Bay 36 blaze is now the province’s single largest fire at roughly 350,000 hectares and officials report its perimeter has begun to shrink after targeted containment work.
- Authorities have started repatriation: of 14 evacuated communities six have already returned, one is in the process of returning, and about 1,100 evacuees remain hosted in other communities.
- Firefighting this summer relied on broad mutual aid from other provinces, Yukon, federal aircraft and recent crews from Mexico, and officials say some visiting crews will be stood down or sent to British Columbia.
- First Nations leaders, the Fire Chiefs of Ontario and the public service union are pressing for a public inquiry over warnings and coordination after a storm about four weeks earlier sparked roughly 30 fast‑growing fires that overwhelmed initial response.