Merve Gül Aydoğan Ağlarcı
22 July 2026•Update: 22 July 2026
More than 3,000 people have been evacuated from over 12 communities in Northwestern Ontario as Canada faces one of the most intense wildfire seasons in its history, according to a statement Wednesday from the Prime Minister's Office.
"Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, convened the Incident Response Group with ministers and senior officials to discuss the wildfire situation across Canada," it said, adding that the group was briefed on increased wildfire activity, with hundreds of active fires burning across the country amid extreme heat waves and record-breaking dry conditions.
It noted that Ottawa is coordinating with the Government of Ontario and First Nations leadership, including support provided in response to Ontario's Request for Federal Assistance for air evacuation operations.
Nearly 300 water bombers, helicopters, and reconnaissance and evacuation aircraft are supporting wildfire response operations, according to the statement.
The Canadian Armed Forces also deployed four CC-130 Hercules aircraft to support 13 evacuation flights from Eabametoong First Nation, also known as Fort Hope, in northwestern Ontario.
It said that firefighters are using advanced data, predictive analytics and artificial intelligence, drones, high-resolution radar imagery and advanced thermal imaging to support real-time detection and mitigation efforts.
In a post on US social media platform X, Carney said the government is mobilizing more than 5,300 firefighters. "Our government will continue to work closely with provincial, territorial, and Indigenous partners to support affected communities and deploy every resource needed to keep Canadians safe."
The statement also pointed to Mexico's support in helping combat wildfires, including its commitment to provide up to 200 firefighters in the coming weeks.
Carney urged those in affected areas to follow instructions from authorities and asked that non-essential travel to affected regions be avoided to keep accommodations available for evacuees and responders.
