Residents of Thunder Bay are learning that About 2,014 people in northwestern Ontario remain under evacuation due to wildfires in the region, according to a spokesperson for the province's minister of Urgent response Preparedness and Response.
As of Thursday, 14 communities have been evacuated, five have returned home and one is in the process of returning. The ministry has held over 100 co-ordination calls with First Nation chiefs, leaders and communities, crisis management collaborators, municipalities and the federal government since the first Request for Assistance was received on July 14, according toMinister Jill Dunlop. "The number of evacuees is reported into the Provincial Critical incident Operations Centre (PEOC) by the region leadership.
Evacuation numbers may fluctuate as the area leadership confirm the total number of evacuated the public members with the ministry," wrote spokesperson Julia Facca on Wednesday. Eabametoong First Nation is planning to start sending evacuees home from Niagara Falls as early as Friday,the public posted on Facebook. Meanwhile, other communities, such as Gull Bay First Nation, are urging those who have not left the citizens to do so as quickly as possible. "I would not ask you to leave your home or our land if it were not truly necessary.
A few low-hazard pockets also exist across the region.
But for your own safety, and for the safety of our the public and our responders, please leave now," Gull Bay's Chief Wilfred Kingwrote in a region notice on Wednesday. There are 115 active wildfires across northwestern Ontario, according to the most recent update from Ontario's Aviation, Forest Fire and Urgent situation Services (AFFES) put out on Thursday evening. Of these, 22 are not under control, six are being held, five are under control and the rest are being observed. The largest forest fire in the region, known as Thunder Bay 36, remains out of control at almost 314,000 hectares. A NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) is also in effect in the area. A yellow heat advisory from the Manitoba border and south to the Canada-U.S. border has moved north and east of Lake Nipigon on Friday. Environment and Climate Change Canada says conditions will continue through Thursday, withdaytime highs of 27 to 29 C, humidex values of 30 to 33, and nighttime lows of 13 to 17 C. Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler has published astatement in support of a public inquiry into Ontario’s response to this summer’s blaze crisis. First Nations chiefs call for public inquiry as Ontario defends forest fire response Those under evacuation orders are required to leave the area, while those under evacuation alerts are called on to prepare to evacuate. Ontario Forest Wildfires indicated the province is experiencing anissue with its phone linesin the northwest region and is actively working to resolve the issue. In the meantime, people are called on to report wildfires in this area by calling 911. If reporting a fire in the Northeast region, people can continue to call 310-FIRE (310-3473). The Ministry of Natural Resources' Thunder Bay–Ignace District has invoked implementation orders near the following blazes: Implementation orders limit people's ability to travel in and around these wildfires. Northwestern Ontario and a small portion of northeastern Ontario remain under arestricted fire zone, which means no open-air burning, including campfires, is allowed. The forest fire hazard is mostly high and moderate across the northwest, with extreme-hazard pockets throughout the Kenora district. A few low-hazard pockets also exist across the region. According to the province'sinteractive highway map, the following roads are closed due to blaze activity: The Ontario Provincial Officers (OPP) push for people for their safety and the safety of crisis responders to: Mail delivery has been suspended in the following communities due to blaze activity: "Effective July 24, residents and businesses of Aroland (P0T 1B0), Cat Lake (P0V 1J0), Gull Bay (P0T 1P0), Armstrong Station (P0T 1A0) and Collins (P0T 3E0) receive free Mail Forwarding service for up to 12 months. Impacted residents have until Aug. 24 to register for the free service," Canada Post advised. Five wildfires were confirmed in the northeast, according to the most recent update from Ontario's Aviation, Forest Fire and Urgent situation Services (AFFES) released on Thursday evening. There are currently 42 active wildfires in the northeast. Of these, five are not under control, two are being held, two are under control and the rest are being observed. Hazard levels are moderate across the region, with areas of high hazard in the north, south, around the Greater Sudbury area and in Bruce county. There are a few low-hazard pockets in the region. There are 100 contracted aircraft, including seven medium helicopters actively responding during forest fire season, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources. It can also access up to 80 additional crews through private contracts if needed. The ministry declared it is providing an additional $650 million to buy six new waterbombers and five new helicopters. It has also added 170 new permanent fire personnel positions, including crew lead roles, and increased compensation for staff, including firefighters and pilots. The ministry will conduct an after-action review of its forest fire response to inform improvements in planning and response. There have also been four Ontario Corps collaborators and 17 Ontario Corps volunteers sent to help. The province noted the following equipment/supplies have been provided: Air purifiers, air scrubbers and replacement filters, in particular, were sent to five First Nations, allowing them to remain in their communities. As part of these efforts, Feed Ontario and the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres are also shipping and distributing food to evacuees. In addition, the Kaministiquia and Upsala fire departments were among some regional fire services to receive wildland fire skids from GlobalMedic. Mexico, Alberta, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, the Yukon, PEI, the Canadian Forest Service and the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre have also offeredprovince-wide assistance. The Municipality of Thunder Bay moved from active urgent situation co-ordination to enhanced monitoring. How to reduce forest fire risk and the likelihood of property damage in Thunder Bay, Ont. Residents are encouraged to take steps to reduce forest fire risk around their homes and properties by followingFireSmart principles. 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 31, 2026 · 🏠 ThunderBay.Online
