The northwestern Ontario community is abuzz with news that There are 145 active wildfires burning in northwestern Ontario, according to the latest update from Ontario Forest Fires, one fewer than were reported on Tuesday night.
Of these, 49 are listed as not under control, six are being held, eight are under control and the rest are being observed. The largest wildfire in the region, known as Thunder Bay 36, remains out of control and spans more than 318,000 hectares. "FireRanger crews, helicopters and heavy equipment operators are assigned to suppression efforts," Ontario's Aviation, Forest Fires and Critical incident Services (AFFES) remarked in Tuesday evening's update.
"Recent precipitation over the last several days has helped to reduce fire behaviour, allowing for crews to make good progress on the fire line." Forest fire danger ratings are mostly low or moderate across the northwest region, but there are a few pockets of high hazard in the Sioux Lookout, Red Lake and Fort Frances areas. "Although the northwest region has received large amounts of precipitation over the past several days, the fire hazard is starting to rebound," Ontario Forest Fires advised, in a Facebook post on Wednesday. "The potential for holdover lightning fires remains a concern. The public is advised to exercise extreme caution and to please stay clear of active fires, as FireRangers and aerial suppression crews continue their work." Ontario Forest Fires shared infrared scanning aircraft have also been flying overnight into the early morning scanning its active fires for hotspots to help detect hotspots quickly.
Of these, four are not under control, four are under control and the rest are being observed.
A Restricted Fire Zone remains in effect to reduce the number of human-caused fires. According to the province'sinteractive highway map, the closure of Highway 527 at Kiashke Zaaging Anishinaabek — Gull Bay First Nation — has been extended to the Highway 811 junction. Highway 811 is also closed due to ongoing wildfire activity, with the exception of regional traffic evacuating the area. The First Nation is now under a mandatory evacuation order after lightning brought the total number of wildfires surrounding the citizens to six, according to a release issued by the area early Tuesday morning. In an update issued Monday evening, the Ontario Provincial Authorities (OPP) North West Region indicated: "The OPP is currently assisting the MNR with an evacuation order of Gull Bay First Nation, which was previously under a self-evacuation. Individuals living in areas under mandatory evacuation orders have been asked to leave their residence immediately and seek safety away from active fires." The officers indicated other communities are being monitored and residents are encouraged to stay informed and be prepared to act quickly should further evacuation orders or advisories be issued. The OPP strongly pressed people for their safety and the safety of crisis responders to: As of Tuesday night, there were 40 active wildfires in the northeast region. Of these, four are not under control, four are under control and the rest are being observed. Forest fire danger ratings are low across the northeast, with a pocket of moderate hazard in the North Bay area. This year’s wildfire season has forced more than a dozen communities and areas to evacuate in recent days, including 11 First Nations. As of Monday,roughly 2,415 people had evacuated to host communities across Ontario, including Thunder Bay, Kenora, Fort Frances, Lac Seul, Sioux Lookout, Red Lake, Barrie, Niagara Falls and Toronto. A total of 312 air purifiers, 84 air filters and five air scrubbers have also been sent to several communities affected by wildfire smoke, according to the Ontario Corps. As part of these efforts, Feed Ontario and the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres are shipping and distributing food to evacuees. GlobalMedic has also delivered essential supplies to the reception centre at the Fort William Gardens Arena in Thunder Bay. As of Tuesday, the Air Quality Health Index for Thunder Bay was at low-risk conditions throughout the day, but air quality is expected to worsen again with moderate risk tonight and into Wednesday. The Community of Thunder Bay has resumed normal operations of all facilities, outdoor programs, parks, beaches, pools and recreational amenities that were temporarily impacted bywildfire smoke. Municipality crews have also resumed regular outdoor work and will continue to monitor conditions. The urban centre also indicated it remains prepared to support regional response efforts and additional evacuations should the need arise and will continue to work closely with urgent situation management partners across the region. Chiefs of Ontario has unveiled awildfire updates and support pageto share timely information, identify urgent needs and advocate for coordinated critical incident support for provincial First Nations. It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered onCBC Gem..
Community members are encouraged to stay informed and share this information with friends and family. Following trusted local news sources helps ensure everyone stays up to date with events and announcements affecting Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario.
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📍 Source: CBC News Thunder Bay · By: CBC News Staff · 🗓️ July 22, 2026 · 🏠 ThunderBay.Online
