Ontario has formally asked the Canadian federal government for help evacuating people from remote northern communities being threatened by out-of-control wildfires, as smoke from the blazes pushed poor air quality into Toronto and across much of the northeastern United States on Thursday.
Canada is currently dealing with more active wildfires than it had at the same point in either of the past two years, and the total area burned so far this season is larger than it was in 2025. The majority of the fires are burning in remote parts of the central provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Ontario.
Ontario’s minister of emergency preparedness, Jill Dunlop, announced the move on social media platform X. “In response to the significant threat of wildland fire activity in northern Ontario, the province has issued a formal Request for Assistance to the Government of Canada to be prepared to expedite the deployment of federal resources to support evacuations,” Dunlop wrote. She noted that the request includes potential deployment of the Canadian Armed Forces.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said in prepared remarks that the federal government is maintaining close contact with provincial and municipal leaders and stands ready to provide whatever additional support may be needed.
Indigenous communities in remote areas have been hit especially hard by wildfires in recent years. Indigenous Services Canada reported that as of July 15, approximately 1,600 people had already been evacuated from First Nations communities due to fires this season.
As of Thursday, roughly 859 fires were burning across Canada, with 113 classified as out of control, according to government figures. In total, approximately 2.384 million hectares — or about 5.89 million acres — have burned so far this season.
Speaking Wednesday evening, Prime Minister Carney described a rapidly worsening situation. “The wildfire situation has escalated significantly over the last three weeks across the country, and particularly in Northwestern Ontario,” he said. “Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their communities, not knowing if their homes will survive.”
Canadian National Railway reported that its employees in the region, along with residents of the town of Armstrong, were evacuated Monday night after a video circulated widely on social media showing one of its trains engulfed in flames in the area. The company said it has halted rail operations near Armstrong — a community located more than 500 kilometers, or about 310 miles, north of Toronto — as a safety precaution.
Vancouver-based Fury Gold Mines announced Wednesday that it has temporarily halted exploration and drilling at its Eau Claire project in northern Quebec after evacuating all workers due to a nearby forest fire.
Australia-listed Green Technology Metals, a company focused on lithium exploration, also has a mining operation near Armstrong. The company did not respond to inquiries about whether its staff had been evacuated.
Most gold mining operations in northern Ontario are situated well away from the areas currently affected by the fires.
