Nearly 600 wildfire evacuees from Kasabonika Lake First Nation to return home from Toronto

Nearly 600 wildfire evacuees from Kasabonika Lake First Nation are scheduled to begin returning home from Toronto on Thursday. Thirteen charter planes will transport the group over four to six days, stopping in Thunder Bay for fuel before continuing north.

The remote Oji-Cree community declared a state of emergency on June 27 after wildfire activity increased. The first evacuees left on June 28, flying first to Thunder Bay and then to Toronto. Evacuees have been staying in hotels near Toronto Pearson International Airport.

Current fire conditions Fire crews continue to address a cluster of five wildfires near the community. As of Tuesday evening, nine of more than 70 active fires across the northwest were under control, 13 were not under control, and the remainder were being monitored.

The largest fire near the community, Nipigon 12, covers 2,119 hectares and remains not under control. Crews have made progress on Nipigon 16, whose northern edge lies six kilometres from the community airport.

Evacuation support and timeline A band councillor said the community’s most vulnerable residents make up almost half the population and were evacuated for safety. The same councillor stated that evacuees have been kept occupied with visits to Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada and Canada’s Wonderland.

The community has not conducted an evacuation in 20 years. Support from ISN Maskwa, provincial ministries, and ground and aerial fire crews has been acknowledged by community leaders. Twelve FireRanger crews, eight fire management personnel, three helicopters, and two fixed-wing aircraft are assigned to the fires around Kasabonika Lake.

The area received about 20 millimetres of rain overnight Monday, though forest fuels remain dry and susceptible to lightning strikes.