Northern Ontario Wildfires Rise to 191 as Ford Warns Evacuation Holdouts Hinder Response
Updated
Updated · CBC Sports · Jul 18
Northern Ontario Wildfires Rise to 191 as Ford Warns Evacuation Holdouts Hinder Response
3 articles · Updated · CBC Sports · Jul 18
Summary
Seven new fires pushed northern Ontario's active wildfire count to 191 on Saturday, including two large Sioux Lookout-area blazes measuring 110 and 136.6 hectares.
Premier Doug Ford said residents ignoring evacuation orders are disrupting suppression efforts because water bombers will not drop on areas where civilians remain.
Thunder Bay opened another evacuation centre as crews focused on major incidents including the 55,000-hectare Fort Frances 14 fire, which prompted a new evacuation order Friday.
More than 155 ground crews and 80 aircraft were deployed, with 40 more aircraft on standby and firefighters arriving from Alberta, the Yukon and potentially Massachusetts.
Smoke and fire danger remained widespread despite some rain, with orange air-quality alerts across much of northern Ontario and multiple closures, cancellations and fire bans in effect.
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Ontario Wildfires 2026: Unprecedented Smoke Crisis, First Nations Evacuations, and the Escalating Cost of Climate Change
Overview
As of July 18, 2026, Ontario faces a severe wildfire crisis, with widespread smoke causing poor air quality from Thunder Bay to Windsor. Smoke from northwestern Ontario continues to drift south, prompting air quality warnings across much of the province. First Nations communities, such as Whitesand, have been forced to evacuate as black smoke approaches, often acting before official orders are given. Hundreds of evacuees are now sheltered in Thunder Bay. These events highlight the urgent and immediate impact of wildfires on both public health and vulnerable communities, as well as the challenges in receiving timely support.