News from Thunder Bay: Despite wildfire conditions improving in and around the Lakehead region, Ont., on Tuesday, there are many steps residents can still take to reduce their wildfire risk and the likelihood ofnegative impacts to their properties.
Dave Tarini, the chief of Thunder Bay Fire Rescue, advised 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 indicated 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 stated it is currently very unlikely that the urban centre 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 confirmed the real challenge for the fire service, if it needed to act quickly, would be how best to support neighborhood municipalities, work with mutual aid partners and send an appropriate number of resources outside the municipality to support smaller and rural fire departments. With the Ministry of Natural Resources currently extremely busy, Tarini declared 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.
“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 advised.
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 noted. “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 the area resilience: The program offers tips for homeowners, such as planting wildfire resistant vegetation, removing combustible materials from around homes and decks and having a household wildfire evacuation plan. “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 advised. 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 indicated. For those living in apartments or renting, Osesky shared 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 confirmed. Tarini also encouraged people to have an crisis 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 confirmed. 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 21, 2026 · 🏠 ThunderBay.Online
