High, extreme fire hazards remain in northwestern Ontario as wildfires rage on

Sarah Law · CBC News

· Posted: May 21, 2025 5:56 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

As ashes were falling from the sky, Laura Fisher says she tried to enactment calm arsenic she packed up her family's belongings — for the involvement of her son, spouse and three-year-old granddaughter.

Fisher is among hundreds of evacuees from Wabaseemoong, a First Nation successful northwestern Ontario placed nether an evacuation bid past week owed to a adjacent wildfire.

The fire, known arsenic Kenora 20, is much than 31,000 hectares large. It's 1 of 4 fires of enactment successful the region. 

"I was scared. At the aforesaid time, I tried to calm myself down for the involvement of my kids and myself," said Fisher.

The household is staying successful a edifice successful Niagara Falls, much than 1,900 kilometres from home. About 800 radical from Wabaseemoong are successful the confederate Ontario city, with smaller numbers successful Kenora and Winnipeg.

Fisher said her household archetypal drove to Kenora to registry arsenic evacuees. There, they spent a nighttime astatine Fisher's daughter's location earlier travelling westbound to Winnipeg.

After that, they were told they had to spell to Niagara Falls.

"It was tiring," she said. "But we're OK now."

There are 10 progressive wildfires successful northwestern Ontario. Of those, 7 are not nether control, 2 are nether power and 1 is being observed.

The 4 astir concerning fires are:

• Kenora 20, which is much than 31,000 hectares large.
• Kenora 14, which is much than 1,600 hectares large.
• Fort Frances 4, which is astir 3,600 hectares large.
• Sioux Lookout 3, which is much than 1,800 hectares large.

"Firefighting unit from Ontario and British Columbia are moving connected Kenora 20 and Kenora 14, with crews establishing hose lines, cutting helipads, and establishing values extortion astir communities," Ontario's Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services (AFFES) said successful an update Tuesday night.

There person been 79 wildfires reported successful Ontario since the play began connected April 1. Meanwhile, determination were 65 wildfires reported altogether successful the state successful 2024.

"It's lone mid-May, and to person evacuations during this clip is precise concerning," said Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa. 

"That disruption of the community, that disruption of the family, that disruption of attraction that happens — we request to beryllium capable to person wraparound services for radical that are evacuated."

'I'm inactive praying for the community'

A fig of restrictions stay successful effect successful the portion arsenic a effect of the wildfires, including a restricted occurrence zone, question bans and limits connected entree to definite lakes and waterways.

AFFES said connected its website that the occurrence hazard ranges from debased to mean connected the eastbound broadside of the region. However, it said, "[t]he occidental fractional is observing a precocious to utmost hazard, with areas of precocious hazard processing successful the Red Lake and Kenora occurrence absorption sectors."

"Despite caller precipitation and cooler temperatures, forested areas stay highly dry."

Just extracurricular of Thunder Bay, a brushwood and operation occurrence was reported precocious Wednesday day astatine Twin City Crossroads betwixt Highway 11-17 and Arthur Street.

Thunder City Speedway has cancelled Wednesday night's races arsenic a result.

People tin presumption the province's interactive wood occurrence representation online for much accusation astir wildfires adjacent them.

Meanwhile, successful Niagara Falls, Fisher said she and her household are trying to marque the astir of the situation.

"People are benignant implicit here, welcoming," she said. "I'm inactive praying for the community."