Northwestern Ontario’s Ongoing Ordeal: 111 Raging Forest Fires

This is an update to my previous blog Emergency Medical Assistance Team Aids Forest Fire Evacuation From Northwestern Ontario.

The number of active forest fires has increased to 111, which resulted in Ontario increasing the following elements of the firefighting operation:

• fire personnel:
  • over 2000
  • 621  out-of-province

• equipment:
  • 17 heavy bombers,
  • 4 light bombers (twin otters),
  • 90+ helicopters and
  • other support aircraft

3,591 residents were evacuated from the following Northwestern Ontario communities:

• Cat Lake First Nation,

•  Keewaywin First Nation,

• Koocheching First Nation,

• Deer Lake First Nation,

• Eabametoong First Nation,

• Kingfisher Lake First Nation,

• Mishkeegogamang First Nation,

• North Spirit Lake First Nation,

• Sandy Lake First Nation,

•  Wawakapewin

Please note that only the first three communities above were fully evacuated, and the other communities were partially evacuated.

Now, all required evacuations are complete.

The following host communities in southern Ontario have received the evacuees and housed them:

• Arthur (204),
• Dryden (242),
• Greenstone (1,038),
• Ignace (55),
• Kapuskasing (140),
• Marathon (201),
• Matachewan First Nation (108),
• Moosonee (121),
• Ottawa (272),
• Sioux Lookout (296),
• Smiths Falls (529),
• Thunder Bay (275),
• Wawa (110)

Ontario is constantly re-assessing the need for future evacuations with First Nation Leadership.

Ontario, Canada: Newsroom

News Release

Update on Northwestern Ontario Forest Fires and Evacuations

July 22, 2011

Residents evacuated from communities threatened by forest fires in northwestern Ontario began arriving yesterday at Lester B. Pearson International Airport in Toronto from Thunder Bay en route to host communities across Southern Ontario.

Both Toronto and Thunder Bay are serving as transportation hubs with all evacuees being flown to Thunder Bay and then Toronto, and finally onwards to their host communities.

Emergency Medical Assistance Team (EMAT) staff and equipment are on site to support forest fire evacuees upon arrival in Thunder Bay.

Evacuation operations in the past few days have brought 3,591 people to safety. All required evacuations are complete. We are constantly re-assessing the need for future evacuations with First Nation Leadership.

Fire fighting efforts continue across northwestern Ontario, with a focus on protecting human health and safety.