Residents of Thunder Bay are learning that There are 145 active wildfires burning in northwestern Ontario, according to the latest update from Ontario Forest Fires, one fewer than reported on Tuesday night.
Of these, 41 are listed as not under control, five are being held, nine 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. The Ministry of Natural Resources’ says theThunder Bay – Ignace Districthas invoked an Implementation Orderfor areas nearDryden 36, for the purposes of public safety and fire suppression.
An Implementation Order allows the ministry to issue formal,legally bindingorders that restrict activities and manage access inside crisis boundaries. "FireRanger crews, helicopters and heavy equipment operators are assigned to suppression efforts," Ontario's Aviation, Forest Fires and Crisis Services (AFFES) declared 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, but there are numerous pockets of high hazard throughout the region, including in the city, Fort Frances, Kenora, Red Lake and Sioux Lookout fire management areas, as well as a pocket of extreme hazard near Fort Frances. "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 saidin a Facebook post on Wednesday.
The OPP strongly advised people for their safety and the safety of critical incident responders to: As of Thursday afternoon, there were 40 active wildfires in the northeast region.
"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 advised infrared scanning aircraft have also been flying overnight into the early morning, scanning active fires for hotspots. In anearlier Facebook post, the ministry confirmed "identifying hotspots helps crews begin the mop-up process and confirms when a fire can be safely declared out." 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 remains under a mandatory evacuation order after lightning brought the total number of wildfires surrounding the region to six, according to a release issued by the public early Tuesday morning. In an update issued Monday evening, the Ontario Provincial Law enforcement (OPP) North West Region shared: "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 law enforcement declared other communities are being monitored and residents are pressed to stay informed and be prepared to act quickly should further evacuation orders or advisories be issued. The OPP strongly advised people for their safety and the safety of critical incident responders to: As of Thursday afternoon, there were 40 active wildfires in the northeast region. Of these, two are not under control, three are being held, two are under control and the rest are being observed, mostly in the far north portion of the Cochrane sector. Forest fire danger ratings are mostly low to moderate across the northeast, with a pocket of high hazard in the Greater Sudbury area. Wawa 17 — roughly 15-kilometres northeast of Pic Mobert and east of White Lake — is ‘being held’ at 37.2 hectares, with the aid of FireRangers and recent precipitation. There are now more than 2,800 wildfire evacuees from more than a dozen communities across the province, according to an update issued by Ontario's Minister of Critical incident Preparedness and Response, Jill Dunlop,late Wednesday afternoon. There have been four Ontario Corps partners and 17 Ontario Corps volunteers deployed to assist. As well, the province says the following equipment/supplies have been provided: 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 evacuation reception centre at the Fort William Gardens Arena in Thunder Bay. The Municipality of the northwestern Ontario hub is transitioning from active crisis co-ordination to enhanced monitoring, "as wildfire conditions across northwestern Ontario remain serious but stable. and no new evacuations are anticipated at this time, " the community saidin an update late Wednesday afternoon. That advised, the Lakehead reminds residents that wildfires remain active across the region and several communities remain under evacuation orders or alerts. How to reduce wildfire risk and the likelihood of property damage in Thunder Bay, Ont. Residents are encouraged to take steps to reduce wildfire risk around their homes and properties by following FireSmart principles, including: More information about FireSmart practices is available atwww.firesmartcanada.ca. 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 23, 2026 · 🏠 ThunderBay.Online
