Wildfire damage is pictured from the air in Collins First Nation, a small, remote Ojibwa community located in northwestern Ontario, about 250 km north of Thunder Bay, Ont., on July 22, 2026. The Canadian Press/Chris Young
Ontario’s minister of natural resources says crews are making progress fighting wildfires, with dozens extinguished in the last two weeks and far fewer burning out of control.
Mike Harris says the wildfire season in terms of number of fires has not been too abnormal, but in terms of the area burned this year is “way surpassing” what has been seen in previous years.
He says Ontario has recorded its largest wildfire ever this year, at its peak spanning 3,500 square kilometres—about double the size of another large fire in recent years.
Harris says Ontario is not yet in the clear, but he is confident crews will get the job done.
Fires have forced the evacuation of 14 communities across the province, and six communities have already returned home, while about 1,150 evacuees are still in host communities.
Harris says if fires start near a community, people do not have to wait for a Ministry of Natural Resources evacuation order–they should just leave.
