Update On Northwestern Ontario Forest Fires And Evacuations – July 26
The members of the Mishkeegogamang First Nation who were evacuated last week have returned to their community from Dryden and Sioux Lookout.
The 153 residents are the first to come home following the evacuation of 3,591 people from fire-threatened communities. Mishkeegogamang First Nation is accessible by road, which made it easier for members of the community to return to their homes.
While it is hard to predict when all evacuated residents will be able to return to their communities, planning is well underway. We are working with First Nation leadership and our provincial and federal partners to ensure families can return to their homes safely and smoothly, as soon as conditions allow.
Although the fires currently pose a low risk to most communities, we are constantly assessing the situation with First Nations Leadership. All necessary resources are available and on standby should conditions change and further evacuations are required.
With more than 3,400 people still displaced from their homes, keeping families and communities together continues to be a priority. Ontario is working with host communities to help First Nations leaders locate and reunite family members who may have become separated. The Canadian Red Cross has also set up a central registry to help residents of evacuated communities locate family members. The contact number for the Red Cross registry is: 1-866-356-3645 ext. 236.
This is now the third largest fire season for hectares burned since record keeping began in 1917. The highest number of hectares burned was 1923, with 857,995. The second highest was 1995, with 612,436 hectares burned.
Fire fighting efforts continue across northwestern Ontario, with a focus on protecting human health and safety.
For the next few days, weather forecasts predict conditions that will support our firefighting efforts.
