Wildfires have destroyed at least two First Nations communities in northwestern Ontario and forced the evacuation of more than 2,800 people, as the province confronts what officials describe as its most severe fire season on record. The communities of Namaygoosisagagun, also known as Collins First Nation, and Whitewater Lake were completely consumed by flames, according to provincial authorities and aerial photographs. As of 23 July, approximately 2,885 people from ten First Nations had been evacuated to host communities across Ontario, a provincial emergency operations spokesperson confirmed.

First Nations leaders say they received no timely warning from the Ontario government before the fires reached their communities. Chief Helen Paavola of Namaygoosisagagun stated that the Ministry of Natural Resources initially told her not to worry, and that the only alert came from a railway worker who filmed the approaching flames. Chief Wilfred King of Gull Bay First Nation described receiving reports that were three days out of date while the fire advanced up to 40 kilometres in a single night. Leaders are now calling for a public inquiry into the province’s emergency coordination, communications, and evacuation planning. Premier Doug Ford has defended his government’s response, saying it did everything it could, and provincial police have warned that anyone found in areas under closure orders faces fines.

Beyond the immediate threat of fire, community health officials report that evacuees are confronting isolation, language barriers, limited access to traditional foods, and incidents of racism in some host communities. Janet Gordon, vice-president of community health at the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority, which represents 33 communities in the region, said such reports are a serious concern for families. Several evacuated First Nations are dry communities where alcohol and drugs are prohibited; the leadership of Eabametoong, which relocated more than 940 members to Niagara Falls, has asked evacuees to avoid substance use and is offering support services.

Indigenous leaders and some Canadian media outlets have pointed to years of underfunding of the province’s wildfire response budget. Ontario budgeted $150 million for emergency firefighting this year, after spending $271 million last year against a $135 million allocation. Leaders also argue that remote airstrips must be upgraded to accommodate larger aircraft for faster evacuations, and that the federal government must invest in protecting isolated communities. Satellite imagery analysed by NASA shows smoke from the fires drifting southeast, degrading air quality in Toronto and parts of the northeastern United States. With 2.9 million hectares already burned across Canada this year, experts warn that the fire risk will remain high in the country’s northeast in the coming months.