Local authorities in Thunder Bay report that As of Wednesday, roughly 2,088 people remain evacuated to communities across Ontario, according to a spokesperson for the minister of Urgent response Preparedness and Response.
Of the communities to evacuate, Aroland First Nation and Ojibway of Saugeen First Nation have returned. Cat Lake First Nation, McDowell Lake First Nation and Mishkeegogamang First Nation are also in the process of returning. There are 122 active wildfires across northwestern Ontario, according to the latest update from Ontario's Aviation, Forest Fire and Crisis Services (AFFES) issued on Tuesday evening.
Of these, 28 are not under control, five are being held, six are under control and the rest are being observed. The largest wildfire 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 warning from the Manitoba border, south to the Canada-U.S.
Impacted residents have until Aug.
border and north to Deer Lake has moved east towardWabakimi Parkon Wednesday. Environment and Climate Change Canada says conditions may continue into Thursday and possibly Friday, withdaytime highs of 29 to 31 C, humidex values of 33 to 38, and nighttime lows of 16 to 20 C. Those under evacuation orders are required to leave the area, while those under evacuation alerts are pressed to prepare to evacuate. The Ministry of Natural Resources' Thunder Bay–Ignace District has invoked implementation orders near the following fires: Implementation orders limit people's ability to travel in and around these fires. 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 moderate across the northwest, with pockets of high hazard throughout the Kenora and Thunder Bay districts. A pocket of extreme hazard is also visible near Dryden and Kenora. According to the province'sinteractive highway map, the following roads are closed due to wildfire activity: The Ontario Provincial Officers (OPP) urge people for their safety and the safety of crisis responders to: Mail delivery has been suspended in the following communities due to wildfire 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 declared. There are currently 35 active wildfires in the northeast. Of these, two are being held, one is under control, and the rest are being observed. Hazard levels range from low to moderate, with areas of high hazard throughout the Sudbury, Algoma and Parry Sound districts, as well as Bruce county. A pocket of extreme hazard is also visible around the Greater Sudbury area. There have been four Ontario Corps partners and 17 Ontario Corps volunteers sent to help. As well, the province remarked 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. 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 Urban centre of Thunder Bay moved from active critical incident co-ordination to enhanced monitoring. Residents are encouraged to take steps to reduce wildfire risk around their homes and properties by followingFireSmart principles. How to reduce wildfire risk and the likelihood of property damage in the city, Ont. 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 29, 2026 · 🏠 ThunderBay.Online
