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Ontario wildfire toll rises
A wildfire crisis in northern Ontario expanded to 191 active fires burning across the region on Saturday morning, with provincial authorities confirming seven new fires in the northwestern region that brought that regional tally to 132.
“A total of 191 active fires were burning across northern Ontario on Saturday morning”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said more than 155 fire crews were working on the ground as of Saturday morning and that more than 80 aircraft were deployed, while warning people not to return to campsites and homes if they had been ordered to evacuate.
Ford also said 40 additional aircraft were on standby for suppression efforts and told affected residents, "We will find you a place, a hotel room, get you food, make sure you're well taken care of," as Alberta wildfire firefighters arrived to assist Ontario crews.
In parallel, Reuters reported Ford said 655,000 hectares (1.6 million acres) of forest were burning across Ontario and said U.S. criticism of Canadian efforts to stop the “terrible scenario” was “absolutely unacceptable.”
Smoke spreads and politics
As smoke from hundreds of Canadian wildfires drifted into the United States, Arise News said hazardous air quality alerts were issued across large parts of the region and that officials cancelled outdoor activities, including children’s summer camp events.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul warned residents about deteriorating conditions, saying, "We’re in a very serious health situation right now," and adding that thick smoke was "blanketing" much of the state and making it "very unhealthy to be outdoors" in many areas.
Reuters reported President Donald Trump blamed what he called incompetent Canadian forest management for the smoke and said on Friday he would add the “incalculable cost” of dealing with the pollution to existing tariffs on Canadian goods.
In Ontario, the political tension also surfaced in Ford’s remarks at a press briefing, where he said if the situation were reversed, “we’re going to be down there to support our neighbors.”
Evacuations and what’s at risk
The wildfire emergency also triggered evacuations in northern Ontario, with Reuters reporting that federal Emergencies Minister Eleanor Olszewski said the Canadian Armed Forces would use aircraft to evacuate residents of Fort Hope, where some of the most intense fires are burning.
“preparing on Saturday to evacuate a remote community of 600 people”
The Canadian military was preparing to evacuate 600 people from Fort Hope, according to South China Morning Post, which said the region has few roads and relies heavily on air travel.
In Ontario, La Presse reported that Premier Doug Ford said there were 191 active fires in his province and that 81 were considered 'out of control,' while also saying ten remote communities had been evacuated and four more could be evacuated soon.
La Presse also quoted Ford’s briefing line that "It’s a miracle that no one has died," as it described how the smoke plume had plunged cities into thick fog and how Environment Canada meteorologist Simon Legault said rain and thunderstorms could help dissipate pollution.