Premier Doug Ford is meeting with evacuees and first responders in Thunder Bay, where many people fleeing from the northern Ontario wildfires have gone.
Speaking with reporters on Saturday, Ford said he was informed some 300 people, including campers, were recently evacuated from the wildfires zones.
“So 40 missions to rescue 300 people. And these are individual campers and so on and so forth. These aren’t communities,” he said.
“I want to thank the OPP for doing an incredible job. They’re absolute champions. I want to thank the local Thunder Bay police as well firefighters and and obviously the paramedics are always there as well.”
Several Ontario communities — including Armstrong, Whitesand First Nation, Collins First Nation and Gakijiwanong Anishinaabe Nation (Lac La Croix First Nation) — are under evacuation order as fire rips through.
Other communities are preparing for possible evacuations.
The premier said he was informed there are 191 active wildfires in the province, which is seven more than the previous day. Of those fires, 73 are considered out of control and 91 are being observed.
“Our focus continues to be sending resources to the areas where fire suppression is most likely to be successful and where they can make the biggest impact keeping people and communities safe,” said Ford.
Ford said the fire efforts include 155 crew members, as well as 80 water bombers and helicopters.
The premier added that those who are evacuated from the areas should stay away, so as to not hamper fire suppression efforts.
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“Do not, I repeat, do not go to your campsites. Do not go back to your homes if they’re saying not to go back,” he said.
“Don’t go back. We will find you a place, a hotel room, get you food. We’ll make sure you’re well taken care of.”
Ontario’s natural resources minister, Mike Harris, called the wildfire season so far “unprecedented.”
“Since the beginning of this year we’ve been obviously prepping for another season of wildfires here in the province but this year has been unprecedented,” said Harris.
“We’ve seen fire activity like never before, but our folks on the ground and in the air and everybody that’s supporting have been doing an incredible job.”
But Ford has faced backlash over the level of funding and resources the province has allocated for wildfire response, while Harris has fielded criticism for his ministry’s handling of the evacuations of two First Nation communities.
Residents of Whitesand First Nation and Namaygoosisagagun First Nation – also known as Collins First Nation – fled approaching wildfires without help from the province.
“The challenge in Collins is that fire actually started very very close to the community and given the certain weather circumstances that were in place at the time, it was actually moving at a rate of around sort of four to eight kilometers an hour towards the community,” Harris said Saturday.
He added that conditions made it difficult for provincial crews to come assess the situation before the First Nation ultimately made the decision to evacuate from the area themselves.
“It’s just been a challenging situation across the northwest and across Ontario over the last week. So we’ll look back as we do on all of the evacuations and our fire efforts and see if there’s things that we can continue to do better.”
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) confirmed it will begin deploying aircraft and personnel to help with the evacuation of Eabametoong First Nation (Fort Hope) on Saturday, after the province’s request for federal assistance.
Four CC-130 Hercules aircraft will be used to help move community members to safe locations.
“The aircraft’s ability to operate in remote and austere environments makes it a critical asset in supporting emergency response efforts in Northern Ontario,” the CAF said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Ford lashed out at opposition members at Queen’s Park who he alleged are politicizing the situation by claiming he’s underspending on wildfire efforts.
“I will not spare a penny. Not a penny,” he said, “We spent $1.5 billion since I’ve been office. We’re spending $650 million on helicopters and with water bombers.”
Harris said fire activity has “slowed a little bit,” which may help alleviate the thick smoke conditions in the province.
“What we really need to see is some of those sustained rains but without the lightning strikes because in the overwhelming majority of fires that we’re seeing now were actually caused by a storm that came through about a week ago,” he said.
— with a file from The Canadian Press
@Cortney Respextfully, Water bombers are used to help, but you need firefighter boots on the ground to finish the job. Pretty hard when there are no roads. Plus Canada has a vast amount of forest.
They use water bombers
So some people think it’s easy to manage 369 million hectares of forest. How? You can’t do a prescribed burn, for example, where there are no roads. Logistically, it’s impossible to get firefighters and equipment to “manage” the forest properly. The US and Europe have the same issues.
Why do we pay forest management departments? Clearly they are just helping the climate agenda liars. This is not new yet more government red tape carbon taxes causing inflation mass immigration and paying 5 billion plus to the treasonous media owned by gouging telecom close market big 3.
Forest fires have been happening on earth before humans walked the planet. Ice caps are leftover from Iceage. So earth is still coming out of that ice age. Keep ignoring history to spew fear mongering ideas for profit. The empty headed will follow anything.
Why did they wait so long to get water bombers in the air?
Fires aren’t real! Smoke, also not real! The liberals are just saying there’s fire but I haven’t seen any real evidence, but anyway.. Everyone is blaming Mr. Ford because he defunded the fire response but it’s not his fault it’s the liberals fault! It’s all part of the liberal agenda! The liberals want more pipelines so they can control you! The liberals want more of OUR MONEY given to bomb makers so the can use them against us! The liberals want data centres so they can watch you! All of the liberal lies that we are soaking in! Don’t fall for it! Reject the pipeline! Reject the data centres! Reject the military increase! Theses are liberal traps! That what real patriots do!
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There wouldn’t be so many wildfires if @) forestry management of deadwood was not squashed by Aboriginals like they squash everything that is detrimental to Mother Earth. One lightening strike to sn old worn out mature tree will set off a fire or more to others and to younger trees. Blame the fires on that & arson!!
Lard Ford probably didn’t make forest fires a priority until it the blaze burned down communities and got out of control. Totally reactive not proactive and just like the Liberals on the economy. Always a day late and a dollar short.
Mr.Ford, how much of our taxes are you investing in “prepping” for the wildfires? are we victims of fate or wrong priorities from your government? Education, health, safety, water, now wildfires… we pay, you decide the priorities. The choices made are wrong. This situation is the consequence of wrong decisions. No need to be sorry, it doesn’t sound true.
You all need to actually be better than the non-sentient trees whose simple existence and survival results in chemical reactions that are of more importance to humanity than your entire life’s output.
Shut up now. The worst outcome is not a democratic outcome you hoped might turn out differently.
You are spoiled effing brats regardless of the political entity you support, or the emotions you experience and think about if you think that is a discussion that should be considered outside of tabloid magazines and other vapid philospohy.
It doesn’t matter. You don’t matter just because you exist. You matter because of how you exist.
Like, right? If we put liberals on land by themselves and without modern conveniences, they would all likely die.
A proportion of them believe people are born in the wrong body, like most lament in terms of the generation or year they were born in, save for forcing people to pretend it’s 1614 and use the appropriate language or give yourself a green card to criminally harrass them.
Beyond being complete a$sholes, you are idiots and weaklings.
Shut up.
Ford is doing “damage/control”….😕yet again ….
The dumber of the two brothers ! Ontario is filled with idiots
Absolute incompetence shown by both Ford and Carney. Both should resign.
Better late than never Ford. Meanwhile Carney has still not done anything about it.
@Lisa: Are you trying to be stupid?
Fires are the province’s job.
Danielle Smith fired her emergency response helicopter teams.
Then Jasper burned.
Got it yet?
@Anonymous. The Feds navel gazing was the reason why the town burned down. Plus they didn’t put in adequate fire breaks, etc.
Jon Dummy: You don’t even know about the town of Jasper burning, so you know nothing.
Provinces are in charge of their own firefighting in spite of your lies bud.
Danielle Smith fired some of hers.
@Anonymous. Actually you’re wrong. Canada was to buy more water bombers so they would be ready when any province needed them. Yet another false promise by Trudeau and Carney. Also, tell us about Jasper as fire fighting in a National Park is the Federal Govts responsibility.
Why are you lying “Val?”
Water bombers are a provincial responsibility stupid.
Carney and Ford a day late and dollar short as usual. Total incompetence.
Where is all the water bombers the Liberals promised years ago.
@Reality: Are you nuts? Fires are a provincial responsibility bud.
That’s your buddy Doug Ford who tried to buy a 92 million jet instead of a water bomber or three.
2 to 3 billion in CO2 emissions per year.
Thats the cost of our forest fires. It dwarfs the CO2 emissions of any one industry in Canada.
Who is responsible? Every single level of government has their part to play and yet this is the best they can do? This, when they tax us for generating CO2 emmissions?
The incompetence of the Liberal party on full display.