Local authorities in Thunder Bay report that Despite wildfire conditions improving in and around Thunder Bay, Ont., on Tuesday, there are many steps residents can still take to reduce their wildfire risk and the likelihood of negative impacts to their properties.
Mark Shruiff, the fire chief for Neebing Critical incident Services (NES), stated the number one cause of fire spread and damage to properties or dwellings is caused by embers that are being thrown from fires. “It can be hundreds of metres that it can throw this one ember which then starts another fire, starts another fire and it’s a chain reaction,” Shruiff stated. As such, he shared people can undertake different plant, landscaping and home modifications to help protect their homes and prevent fires from spreading.
For instance, Shruiff listed that people could clean up bushes around their property, install metal roofing, regularly clean eavestroughs, remove flammable material within theimmediate ignition zone— up to a metre and a half from houses — and ensure trees are trimmed up to roughly six feet in yards. A lot of the time, life is busy and people may not necessarily have the time to do these things, he advised, but it is something that NES stressed was “incredibly significant.” “Everyone thinks, ‘Oh, you know, that’ll never happen to me.’ But you know what? Times are changing. Fires are becoming more intense. They’re becoming more numerous.
However, even with a full complement of staff at all times, he noted the real challenge for the fire service, if it needed to act quickly, would be how best to support area municipalities, work with mutual aid partners and send an appropriate number of resources outside the Lakehead to support smaller and rural fire departments.
We’re getting crazy weather events over the last few years,” Shruiff noted. “That big one is coming — that is my opinion — it’s just a matter of when and whether or not we’re going to be ready for it. And I think collectively in northwestern Ontario the conversation has started [and] the concepts have started to get pushed.” For Shruiff, he declared, educating the public and having them know these programs exist and become familiar with them is the biggest thing. “That’s one of the things we are going to be pushing heavily when we do our open house this weekend,” Shruiff remarked. A fire prevention talk in Neebing, will start at 3 p.m. in the Blake The public Hall on Saturday. Dave Tarini, the chief of Thunder Bay Fire Rescue, indicated the fire department always expects fires to pop up locally, especially with the municipality’s conditions. “A day like today [Monday], we see the rain come through, which is very welcome to sort of calm the fire situation down,” Tarini remarked in an interview on the CBC radio programSuperior Morningon Monday. “But with thunderstorm activity comes associated lightning and that lightning is a real concern for us in the fact that the forest fuels out there are still extremely dry and the potential to start new fires from those lightning strikes is a real danger.” Nonetheless, Tarini remarked it is currently very unlikely that the community will have to evacuate. “It would be foolish to say there’s zero chance to have concern. We’re always concerned … Any of those new fires that start in close to the municipality will be actioned very aggressively and we’ll make sure we bring all resources to bear,” Tarini declared. However, even with a full complement of staff at all times, he noted the real challenge for the fire service, if it needed to act quickly, would be how best to support area municipalities, work with mutual aid partners and send an appropriate number of resources outside the Lakehead to support smaller and rural fire departments. With the Ministry of Natural Resources currently extremely busy, Tarini advised the fire department also cannot necessarily rely on its assistance as it would in the past, since the ministry is tied up with other priorities. As such, the fire department would have to work with its partners in the district to ensure it does its best to address fires while they’re still small, he added. “Having noted that, it’s still very prudent for people to be prepared [and] FireSmarttheir properties — can’t say that enough,” Tarini advised. “Evacuations may still happen, but by taking action, residents are more likely to come back to their homes intact,” shared Chelsea Osesky, the ministry’s mitigation and partnerships lead. Since the program focuses on reducing the likelihood of negative impacts before a fire occurs, Osesky explained that FireSmart recommendations are the same regardless of fire size or intensity. FireSmartfocuses onseven disciplinesintended to help reduce the likelihood of negative impacts associated with wildland fires and support increasing citizens resilience: “The Ministry is committed to protecting public safety and supporting all communities, including rural municipalities with volunteer fire departments and unorganized areas without fire departments, across Ontario in wildland fire management, response and suppression,” Osesky noted. She stated the ministry continuously evaluates its recommendations and best practices to ensure they align with the most recent evidence and research. “When required, programs are expanded to ensure they meet the needs of the public and adapt to the changing environment associated with wildland fire management,” Osesky declared. For those living in apartments or renting, Osesky confirmed many FireSmart principles can also still be applied. The ministry encourages residents to work with their building owners and neighbours to support the implementation of FireSmart recommendations, she shared. Tarini also encouraged people to have an urgent situation kit ready in the event they have to move locations and to ensure the information they’re looking at online is accurate. “Keep looking at the government websites, look for updates, look at all the associated information that is out there as far as weather information [and] fire information and just stay on top of things,” Tarini noted. Nicky Shaw is a reporter for CBC Thunder Bay. She graduated with a Bachelor of Journalism and a minor in Environmental and Climate Humanities from Carleton University. Aligning with her passion for covering global environmental and humanitarian issues, she has worked to develop in-depth multimedia content that shares the diverse experiences of people in Northwestern Ontario. 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..
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📍 Source: CBC News Thunder Bay · By: CBC News Staff · 🗓️ July 25, 2026 · 🏠 ThunderBay.Online
