The province of Ontario issued a formal request for federal assistance on Thursday to facilitate evacuations from remote northern communities threatened by wildfires. Jill Dunlop, Ontario's minister of emergency preparedness, stated that the province is seeking the deployment of federal resources, including the Canadian Armed Forces, to manage the escalating fire activity in the region.
Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed that the federal government is coordinating with local and provincial authorities to provide support. According to government data, 859 active fires were burning across Canada as of Thursday, with 113 classified as out of control. Approximately 2.384 million hectares have burned so far this year, a figure higher than the same period in 2025 but below the record-setting 16.5 million hectares burned in 2023.
The wildfires have affected transportation and industry, with Canadian National Railway suspending operations near Armstrong, Ontario, and Fury Gold Mines halting exploration at its Eau Claire site in Quebec. Indigenous Services Canada reported that 1,600 individuals from First Nations communities had been evacuated as of July 15. Smoke from the fires has resulted in air quality warnings across Toronto and portions of the Northeastern United States.