Wildfires force more than 800 to evacuate northwestern Ontario First Nation
Wildfires have forced more than 800 residents to evacuate their northwestern Ontario First Nation.
Chief Waylon Scott of the Wabaseemoong Independent Nation, which sits about 100 kilometres northwest of Kenora near the Manitoba border, says rain and cooler temperatures have kept several fires at bay, but the blazes still pose a major threat.
In a video conference with reporters Sunday, he said crews are trying to beat back flames from a 0.3-square-kilometre wildfire burning just over a kilometre from the community.
Scott says roughly 100 firefighters, including 20 flown in from British Columbia, are battling that blaze as well as two much bigger fires — one roaring across 90 square kilometres and from which the smaller fire jumped.
Scott says sprinklers are now set up outside about 80 per cent of the buildings in his community, with every home likely to have one within a couple of days.
Fast-moving wildfires triggered evacuation alerts across northwestern Ontario last week amid the first heat wave of the season.
Manitoba also declared a state of emergency in one of its provincial parks as that province battles several large fires.
Scott said about 800 Wabaseemoong residents were flown to Niagara Falls, Ont., for a stay at a pair of hotels, with medical staff on site, while a couple dozen more headed to Winnipeg.
'We literally had hours to evacuate because the Kenora fire literally sprang up without anyone knowing. It wasn't on MNR's (the Ministry of Natural Resources') radar.
'It was scary at times,' he said. 'You can actually hear the roar of the fire from across the river.'
Since Scott became chief in 2019, the community has seen three evacuations and six emergencies, he said.
'I can't explain what kind of toll it takes on them, but it does take a toll,' he said. 'Every spring moving forward, I believe they're going to be on the edge of their seat with the fire season.'
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CBC
34 minutes ago
- CBC
Wildfire near Sandy Lake First Nation a 'sleeping giant' as evacuation flights pause
Social Sharing Spanning 163,000 hectares, the largest wildfire in northwestern Ontario — Red Lake 12 — is now being called a "sleeping giant." The fire is six kilometres from Sandy Lake First Nation and remains not under control. "Because of the cooler weather, you're not seeing anything right now. But there isn't enough rain," Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) said in an update provided by Sandy Lake First Nation on Tuesday. "It could take months to put out a fire this size." Canadian Armed Forces members were called in to assist efforts on Sunday. Since then, more than 2,000 people have been flown out of the community, the majority boarded onto Hercules aircraft. As of late Tuesday afternoon, the First Nation said Phase 1 of its evacuation had been completed. WATCH | Wildfire evacuees from Sandy Lake First Nation arrive in Greater Toronto Area: Wildfire evacuees from Sandy Lake First Nation arrive in GTA 22 hours ago Duration 2:08 "Flights have been paused," the community said in an official update. "Chief and council will assess over the next few days on further steps. Sandy Lake is NOT under a Phase 2 full evacuation." Evacuees are being sent from Thunder Bay to one of three host communities: Kapuskasing, Cornwall or Mississauga. Red Lake 12 "has destroyed at least seven cabins at different camps and a former fishing lodge owned and operated by Sandy Lake as a healing and land-based camp for youth," the First Nation posted on Facebook on Tuesday night. Fewer than 200 people remain in Sandy Lake, where they are taking care of people's pets as well as the community's critical infrastructure and services, band councillor Cynthia Fiddler told CBC's Superior Morning. Fiddler oversees the community's health portfolio and has been busy co-ordinating with people hosting evacuees to ensure everyone has access to prescriptions and other medical assistance, she said. "I'm needed here," Fiddler said. "With all our people out there, there's still lots of calls coming back." Elsewhere in the region, evacuations are continuing for other First Nations: Deer Lake First Nation evacuees are staying in Toronto due to Red Lake 12. Webequie First Nation evacuees are in Barrie due to the Nipigon 5 wildfire. North Spirit Lake First Nation and Keewaywin First Nations have called for community evacuations; CBC News is awaiting more information about where community members will be sent. Members of Wabaseemoong Independent Nations were staying in Niagara Falls from mid-May to early June due to wildfire Kenora 20, but were cleared to return home on Friday. 'Sandy Lake is so good in a crisis' Sandy Lake is a remote Oji-Cree community in Treaty 5 territory, about 600 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay. In Tuesday night's update, the First Nation provided clarity about a situation where construction workers were trapped at the Valard Camp and hid in a shipping container to evade the flames. WATCH | Construction workers trapped by wildfire take shelter in shipping container Workers survive wildfire by hiding in shipping container 3 days ago Duration 2:07 Nineteen construction workers survived a fast-moving wildfire in northwestern Ontario by huddling inside a shipping container near Sandy Lake First Nation, which is now under evacuation order. "Workers were preparing to protect the camp by clearing trees, but the fire just came too quick. Helicopters tried but couldn't reach them because of thick smoke," the First Nation said. "Sandy Lake leadership kept in contact. Deputy Chief Marcel Linklater and Coun. Russel Kakepetum drove to the camp and guided them back to the community. The crews were one of the first to be airlifted out of Sandy Lake to safety on a private charter. Sandy Lake is very thankful they are safe and back with their families." At the evacuation hub at Thunder Bay's airport, the First Nation's band rep team has been co-ordinating flights and distributing essential supplies. Despite the uncertainty of when evacuees will return home, Fiddler said the community has always been resilient, no matter the circumstances. "Sandy Lake is so good in a crisis," she said. "When something happens in our community, people are so willing to come together and work for Sandy Lake. They make sure everybody is taken care of. "It has gotten a little chaotic, but we come together fast, and I'm just so grateful to be from Sandy Lake for that." With cooler weather masking the view of the flames over the last couple days, Fiddler said "it just feels like a normal day." However, temperatures are expected to rise on Friday. Sprinkler systems have been set up in the community to protect homes closest to the fire. "FireRanger crews are making excellent progress setting up a consolidated perimeter line on the west side of the community of Sandy Lake and will be assisted by heavy machinery to create a fire break," Ontario Forest Fires said in its latest update Tuesday night. "Aerial suppression continues, with helicopters and buckets supporting FireRanger crews on the ground digging in to establish hoseline, pump and sprinkler perimeters." Air quality statements lifted — for now A special air quality statement first issued for Sandy Lake on May 27 was lifted as of Wednesday. Statements have also been lifted for the Fort Hope, Webequie, Weagamow Lake, Deer Lake and Pikangikum areas. They had been jointly issued by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, as well as Environment and Climate Change Canada. Despite recent rainfall, much of northwestern Ontario remains under a restricted fire zone, which means no open-air burning is allowed. Dr. Peter Lin, a family physician and a medical columnist for CBC, explained how wildfires create a lot of chemicals and tiny particles that affect people's eyes, skin and lining of their breathing tubes. "These [particles] are very tiny, so they can get deep into your lungs," Lin said. While in the short term people may experience eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches or a mild cough due to wildfire smoke, long-term exposure can also increase people's risk of lung cancer, he said. "Check the air quality index. It's easy, right? 10 is bad, one is good. It's all colour-coded," Lin said. "If it's a bad day, then avoid going out. If you have to go out, then use an N95 mask to cut down on the particles that you're breathing in." He also urges people to keep their doors and windows closed during smoky days, and wear sunglasses and long-sleeved shirts to protect their skin. "If you can afford a HEPA filter, that could clean up some of the air inside your house as well," he said.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Forestry minister says more federal funding would make a big difference in wildfire preparedness, prevention
Minister of Forestry and Parks, Todd Loewen, speaks with Alberta Primetime host Michael Higgins about the wildfire situation in the province. Minister of Forestry and Parks, Todd Loewen, speaks with Alberta Primetime host Michael Higgins about the wildfire situation in the province. Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen speaks with Alberta Primetime host Michael Higgins about the wildfire situation in the province. This interview has been edited for clarity and length. Michael Higgins: Evacuation orders have been expanded in the County of Grande Prairie, as well now as the Municipal District of Greenview. What's that say about conditions up in your corner of the province? Todd Loewen: It's definitely dry and we've had quite a bit of lightning that came through earlier that created a bunch of fires. And with high winds that we've been having, it's a perfect scenario for these forest fires to ignite and to grow, and that's the problem. There's a lot of fire in the landscape right now, and with the high winds we've been having, they've been growing exponentially as well. MH: Whether it's the northwest or anywhere else, how would you frame the start of wildfire season in our province and the degree to which it's testing Alberta's ability to respond? TL: The first three weeks of May wasn't that bad. We had a high number of fires, but we were able to get on them quick, and weather conditions allowed us to control those fires pretty quickly. But the last week of May and into June, the lightning came through, and it has a static capacity. As far as our firefighting ability, we've been bringing in resources from other provinces and from other states, and soon here we'll be bringing in people from outside the country, some American crews, Australians as well, maybe even Costa Rica, maybe Mexico. We'll see who has firefighters to spare. We're working through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, and they arranged a lot of our people to come in and help from around the world and across the country. MH: Other provinces, including Ontario, now have requested assistance from the federal government. Where is Alberta in that queue? Is it in the queue? TL: The only help we've ever had from the feds, really, has been when we use the military, and of course, they do provide some funding along the way, too. It'd be nice to see more and more help from the feds. We send a lot of money to Ottawa that they distribute. It'd be nice to have a lot of that coming back to Alberta and helping with the firefighting situation. MH: What degree of communication do you have with the minister of emergency management and community resilience, newly elected Alberta MP Eleanor Olszewski, and how do those communications compare with dynamics that played out in the wake of that destructive fire in Jasper last year? TL: I haven't communicated directly, but that communication might be going on through our emergency services minister, Minister (Mike) Ellis. I reached out to Manitoba, the minister there, talking about the situation they have there. Earlier in the season, we were actually providing help to Manitoba and to Ontario, because we were a little on the slower side early in May, but now we need our resources back, and so they've all moved back home. Now we're asking for help from across the country and around the world. MH: We set up the conversation on expanding calls for a national fire service. The Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs says we're the only G7 country without a national fire administration. Where does Alberta's government stand on those calls? TL: We haven't come up with anything particular that we want to focus on when it comes to that strategy. We know that we have a good organization here, Alberta Wildfire does great work, we have good personnel here. When it comes to resources, I think that's where we could use some help from the feds. Again, we transfer a lot of money to Ottawa and Ottawa doesn't transfer that much back. If they could transfer some of that back to help us with our fighting wildfire, that'd be appreciated. MH: Fighting wildfires, that is a provincial responsibility, isn't it? TL: Yes, it is. Other than the national parks. MH: OK, so how different an approach do you see the federal government needing to take to this whole conversation? What or could that involvement look like to come from the feds? TL: We'll be in further conversations as time goes forward, but as it is right now, we could use the resources, the financial resources, to be able to bring in the help that we need. The federal government right now, they're not set up to fight fire at all right now –other than Parks Canada; they have their own firefighting abilities and crews and things like that. The provinces have that. If the feds wanted to get in, if they were to help pay for some of the expenses that we have, that would be a big help. And again, we have the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre that we work with. That's a great organization that really does help link us up to resources. MH: We're only approaching mid-June, many weeks left. How concerned are you about where this wildfire season is headed? TL: Always concerned. You never know what the weather is going to bring and what's going to happen. The majority of our issues right now were started by a band of dry lightning that moved through the province and followed by 30-degree temperatures and high winds. If we can avoid situations like that throughout the rest of summer, we might not be in too bad of shape, but we already have enough hectares on fire right now that we do have a long summer ahead of us, working on getting those fires extinguished.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Forestry minister says more federal funding would make a big difference in wildfire preparedness, prevention
Minister of Forestry and Parks, Todd Loewen, speaks with Alberta Primetime host Michael Higgins about the wildfire situation in the province. Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen speaks with Alberta Primetime host Michael Higgins about the wildfire situation in the province. This interview has been edited for clarity and length. Michael Higgins: Evacuation orders have been expanded in the County of Grande Prairie, as well now as the Municipal District of Greenview. What's that say about conditions up in your corner of the province? Todd Loewen: It's definitely dry and we've had quite a bit of lightning that came through earlier that created a bunch of fires. And with high winds that we've been having, it's a perfect scenario for these forest fires to ignite and to grow, and that's the problem. There's a lot of fire in the landscape right now, and with the high winds we've been having, they've been growing exponentially as well. MH: Whether it's the northwest or anywhere else, how would you frame the start of wildfire season in our province and the degree to which it's testing Alberta's ability to respond? TL: The first three weeks of May wasn't that bad. We had a high number of fires, but we were able to get on them quick, and weather conditions allowed us to control those fires pretty quickly. But the last week of May and into June, the lightning came through, and it has a static capacity. As far as our firefighting ability, we've been bringing in resources from other provinces and from other states, and soon here we'll be bringing in people from outside the country, some American crews, Australians as well, maybe even Costa Rica, maybe Mexico. We'll see who has firefighters to spare. We're working through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, and they arranged a lot of our people to come in and help from around the world and across the country. MH: Other provinces, including Ontario, now have requested assistance from the federal government. Where is Alberta in that queue? Is it in the queue? TL: The only help we've ever had from the feds, really, has been when we use the military, and of course, they do provide some funding along the way, too. It'd be nice to see more and more help from the feds. We send a lot of money to Ottawa that they distribute. It'd be nice to have a lot of that coming back to Alberta and helping with the firefighting situation. MH: What degree of communication do you have with the minister of emergency management and community resilience, newly elected Alberta MP Eleanor Olszewski, and how do those communications compare with dynamics that played out in the wake of that destructive fire in Jasper last year? TL: I haven't communicated directly, but that communication might be going on through our emergency services minister, Minister (Mike) Ellis. I reached out to Manitoba, the minister there, talking about the situation they have there. Earlier in the season, we were actually providing help to Manitoba and to Ontario, because we were a little on the slower side early in May, but now we need our resources back, and so they've all moved back home. Now we're asking for help from across the country and around the world. MH: We set up the conversation on expanding calls for a national fire service. The Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs says we're the only G7 country without a national fire administration. Where does Alberta's government stand on those calls? TL: We haven't come up with anything particular that we want to focus on when it comes to that strategy. We know that we have a good organization here, Alberta Wildfire does great work, we have good personnel here. When it comes to resources, I think that's where we could use some help from the feds. Again, we transfer a lot of money to Ottawa and Ottawa doesn't transfer that much back. If they could transfer some of that back to help us with our fighting wildfire, that'd be appreciated. MH: Fighting wildfires, that is a provincial responsibility, isn't it? TL: Yes, it is. Other than the national parks. MH: OK, so how different an approach do you see the federal government needing to take to this whole conversation? What or could that involvement look like to come from the feds? TL: We'll be in further conversations as time goes forward, but as it is right now, we could use the resources, the financial resources, to be able to bring in the help that we need. The federal government right now, they're not set up to fight fire at all right now –other than Parks Canada; they have their own firefighting abilities and crews and things like that. The provinces have that. If the feds wanted to get in, if they were to help pay for some of the expenses that we have, that would be a big help. And again, we have the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre that we work with. That's a great organization that really does help link us up to resources. MH: We're only approaching mid-June, many weeks left. How concerned are you about where this wildfire season is headed? TL: Always concerned. You never know what the weather is going to bring and what's going to happen. The majority of our issues right now were started by a band of dry lightning that moved through the province and followed by 30-degree temperatures and high winds. If we can avoid situations like that throughout the rest of summer, we might not be in too bad of shape, but we already have enough hectares on fire right now that we do have a long summer ahead of us, working on getting those fires extinguished.
