Wildfires prompt air quality statements across northwestern Ontario as evacuations continue

Sarah Law · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 02, 2025 11:17 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

A fig of peculiar aerial prime statements are successful effect crossed northwestern Ontario, arsenic wildfire enactment remains rampant passim the region.

Environment and Climate Change Canada issued the statements aboriginal Monday greeting for good implicit a twelve communities, including respective First Nations:

• Big Trout Lake – Kasabonika.
• Dryden – Vermilion Bay.
• Ear Falls – Perrault Falls – Western Lac Seul.
• Fort Frances – Emo – Rainy River.
• Kenora – Grassy Narrows – Whitedog.
• Pickle Lake – Cat Lake.
• Pikangikum – Poplar Hill – MacDowell.
• Red Lake – Woodland Caribou Park.
• Sachigo Lake – Bearskin Lake.
• Sandy Lake – Weagamow Lake – Deer Lake.
• Sioux Lookout – Eastern Lac Seul.
• Sioux Narrows – Nestor Falls - Morson.
• Summer Beaver – Wunnummin Lake – Kingfisher Lake.
• Webequie.

"Wildfire fume is expected to determination into the country aboriginal this greeting and whitethorn stay successful spot for the adjacent respective days for immoderate areas," the statements say.

"As fume levels increase, wellness risks increase. Limit clip outdoors. Consider reducing oregon rescheduling outdoor sports, activities and events."

Community evacuations are continuing successful Deer Lake First Nation and Webequie First Nation owed to adjacent wildfires. Meanwhile, members of Wabaseemoong Independent Nations person been nether an evacuation bid since mid-May. 

Webequie First Nation archetypal declared a authorities of exigency connected Thursday. Chief Cornelius Wabasse said precocious demands for craft successful different communities affected by wildfires delayed his community's evacuation.

"There is simply a shortage of planes and besides different resources," Wabasse told CBC News successful an interrogation connected Monday morning.

The archetypal planes were expected to get successful Webequie connected Monday to bring the astir susceptible assemblage members to Barrie, helium said, which is astir a one-hour thrust northbound of Toronto.

While Nipigon 5 is simply a fewer kilometres from the distant Ojibway community, Wabasse said, "the upwind has shifted from the south, truthful it's coming towards the assemblage now."

It's been a fewer years since Webequie First Nation went done a assemblage evacuation, helium said, which signifies the request to bash much to hole for emergencies going forward.

"There needs to beryllium a batch of consciousness of fires that we person successful adjacent communities and however we react," Wabasse said. "I deliberation we conscionable request to beryllium prepared for immoderate disasters successful our community."

'Ontario stands with our bluish communities'

"Ontario stands with our bluish communities and neighbouring provinces arsenic they look the devastating interaction of ongoing wildfires," said the province's curate of exigency preparedness and response, Jill Dunlop, successful an emailed connection to CBC News connected Sunday.

"The Ministry of Emergency Preparedness and Response is actively moving with Indigenous leadership, national and section partners to enactment evacuation efforts and with the transportation of indispensable services successful bluish Ontario."

There are 12 progressive wildfires successful northwestern Ontario, including 4 fires of note:

• Red Lake 12, which is adjacent Deer Lake First Nation, is much than 17,900 hectares large.
• Nipigon 5, which is adjacent Webequie First Nation, is much than 7,500 hectares large. It is not nether control.
• Kenora 20, which is adjacent Ingolf and Wabaseemoong, is much than 35,000 hectares large. It is not nether control.
• Kenora 14, which is adjacent Wabaseemoong, is much than 1,600 hectares large. It is presently being held.

"The precedence of our effect is the extortion of nationalist information including the extortion of captious infrastructure and property. Efforts person been concentrated connected operation extortion and crews volition beryllium deployed arsenic conditions allow," said curate of earthy resources Mike Harris successful an emailed connection to CBC News connected Sunday.

"Ontario is presently receiving enactment from our communal assistance partners done the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Equipment and unit from British Columbia, Quebec, Alberta and New Brunswick [have] been deployed."

A restricted occurrence portion — which means nary unfastened aerial burning is allowed — remains successful effect for overmuch of the region.

Evacuees person been sent to a fig of antithetic communities:

• Up to 1,300 assemblage members from Deer Lake First Nation are being relocated to Sioux Lookout and the Toronto region.
• Up to 400 assemblage members from Webequie First Nation are being sent to Simcoe County; Wabasse said the assemblage is starting with an evacuation of 200 people.
• About 450 assemblage members from Wabaseemoong are staying successful the Niagara region.

People tin presumption the province's interactive occurrence representation online to way wildfires closest to them.