Northwestern Ontario First Nation still facing fire threat despite cooler weather

CBC News

· Posted: May 19, 2025 4:58 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

The main of Wabaseemoong Independent Nations says his assemblage is inactive nether menace from wood fires, contempt the cooler upwind this weekend. 

"Once the rainfall stops and the warmer temperatures travel backmost to the region, it's conscionable going to flare the occurrence up and perchance beryllium worse than what it was before," Chief Waylon Scott said. 

The assemblage had to enactment rapidly past Wednesday arsenic the fires approached Wabaseemoong. "We virtually had hours to evacuate," helium said. 

Kenora 20, which is burning conscionable westbound of the community, was about 31,000 hectares successful size and not nether power arsenic of Monday afternoon. 

Kenora 14, meanwhile, is burning northbound of Wabaseemoong; arsenic of Monday afternoon, that occurrence was conscionable implicit 1,600 hectares successful size, and not nether control.

Chris Marchand, occurrence accusation serviceman for the Kenora 20 occurrence with Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services (AFFES) said nore than 90 firefighters from British Columbia are assisting Ontario FireRangers successful suppression efforts, and structural extortion is ongoing successful Wabaseemoong.

In total, helium said, determination are present much than 200 firefighters moving connected the Kenora 20 fire, on with 17 helicopters.

"That's surely a a existent absorption connected getting immoderate meaningful firefighting done connected these perimeter areas, truthful that arsenic the occurrence behaviour does emergence successful the area, arsenic we person drier upwind implicit the adjacent fewer days, we tin forestall these areas from flaring up and becoming a occupation erstwhile again," Marchand said.

He said determination person been immoderate structural losses owed to the fire, but helium didn't person details.

'100 ft flames' seen from the community 

Scott said people could spot "100 ft flames" from the community.

"It was scary astatine times, particularly proceeding the fire," helium said, "Like you tin really perceive the roar of the occurrence from crossed the river."

It took a fewer days to benignant retired wherever assemblage members would enactment until the occurrence is nether control, but helium said respective authorities officials and different First Nations person stepped up to help.

Roughly 800 assemblage members successful full volition beryllium staying successful Niagara Falls, wherever they volition person entree to caregiver practitioners and yet a doctor. 

A smaller fig of evacuees are successful Kenora and Winnipeg.

Scott said this is present the 3rd evacuation helium has experienced since becoming chief, and helium acknowledged that the emergencies and evacuations person an affectional toll connected the community.

"It's each outpouring moving forward, I judge they're ever going to beryllium connected the borderline of their seat with the occurrence season."

Some assemblage members instrumentality home

While astir residents person been evacuated, immoderate are choosing to enactment successful the assemblage contempt a superior menace from a adjacent wood fire, the main said.

"As of (Sunday) morning ... the fig has gone up successful presumption of who's remaining successful the community," Wabaseemoong Chief Waylon Scott said during a virtual media event. "Originally determination were six assemblage members that were left."

"Now we're up to astir 17 oregon 18 radical that person chosen to travel backmost home," Scott said. "That's contempt informing them that the occurrence is is inactive a superior threat."

And portion astir pets person also been evacuated, immoderate dogs couldn't beryllium taken retired of Wabaseemoong, Scott said.

"There are crews, volunteers that spell retired and provender the dogs," helium said; canine nutrient is being shipped into the community.

Scott said truthful far, determination hasn't been immoderate harm to immoderate structures successful the community.

Overall, arsenic of Monday afternoon, determination were 7 progressive wildfires successful the northwest region, said Alison Bezubiak, occurrence accusation bureau with AFFES.

"Of those fires, 2 are nether control, 1 is being observed and 4 are not nether control," she said. "One caller occurrence has been confirmed contiguous and that has since been called out."

The fires of interest see Kenora 20 and 14, arsenic good arsenic Fort Frances 4 and Sioux Lookout 3, Bezubiak said.

Fort Frances 4 is northbound of Crystal Lake, and was listed arsenic being astir 3,600 hectares successful size and not nether control.

Sioux Lookout 3, meanwhile, is northbound of Savant Lake, and was astir 1,850 hectares connected Monday afternoon. It's besides not nether control, Bezubiak said.

"Fortunately, precise small maturation has been recorded connected these fires implicit the past fewer days, and minimal occurrence behaviour has been observed arsenic well," she said.

That, Bezubiak said, was due to cooler, bedewed upwind successful the past fewer days.

"These cooler temperatures and the precipitation that came with it did bring immoderate alleviation to that blistery adust upwind that we were experiencing past week, and the escalated occurrence behaviour that came with it," she said. "This has allowed crews to marque advancement with their ongoing suppression efforts.:

"But we are present entering a spot of a drying trend, and we're already starting to spot that hazard commencement to rebound benignant of astir the the occidental broadside of the region," Bezubiak said. "That could effect successful america seeing immoderate much accrued occurrence behaviour connected these progressive fires."

Access to the country astir each of those fires remains restricted owed to orders issued by the MNR.

An evacuation order, meanwhile, has been issued by the MNR for the Kenora 20 occurrence area.

"We would inquire that residents successful affected areas of delight proceed to obey the evacuation bid and question restrictions," Marchand said. "While we're temporarily seeing a spot of a lull successful occurrence activity, the occurrence is inactive there, albeit successful a little progressive state, and it tin inactive airs a menace arsenic conditions statesman to adust out."