They Thought There Was No Immediate Danger. Then a Wall of Smoke Arrived
Ontario asked Ottawa for help as more than 175 wildfires burned and officials said the Namaygoosisagagun fire was over 350,000 hectares.
- On Monday, a wildfire destroyed Namaygoosisagagun First Nation near Armstrong, forcing residents to evacuate by boat and vehicle; the blaze has expanded to more than 350,000 hectares as of Thursday.
- Classified as a "near band" in a "grey zone," the community has struggled to receive official reserve status from Ottawa since 1990, which lawyer Meaghan Daniel explained complicates emergency resource access.
- Volunteers led a daring evacuation on Monday, risking their lives to guide elders and children across the bush to safety, with Chief Paavola's 13-year-old nephew, Chance Paavola, assisting by boat.
- The Ontario government issued a formal Request for Assistance on Thursday to the federal government, as more than 175 wildfires currently burn across the province, straining emergency services.
- Grand Council Chief Linda Debassige criticized the "jurisdictional pinball between Canada and Ontario" as a "bureaucratic mess," though Chief Helen Paavola remains determined to rebuild the community despite devastation.
31 Articles
31 Articles
They thought there was no immediate danger. Then a wall of smoke arrived
By Alessandra Freitas, CNN (CNN) — At first, all Miiyah Paavola could see was a thick wall of smoke. From her home in Namaygoosisagagun First Nation, northwestern Ontario, the smoke appeared close. But the remote Indigenous community says that on that Monday, July 13, they were told by the Ministry of Natural Resources there was
Fire Crews Fighting 190 Wildfires in Ontario, Half Out of Control, Officials Say
Firefighters are battling nearly 200 wildfires across northern Ontario, with roughly half of them out of control, according to provincial officials. At least one remote northern community has seen heavy destruction, with residents in the path of wildfires having only a short time to escape the approaching flames. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the government’s first priority is evacuating residents from communities that are threatened by the fir…
Why did members of a northwest Ontario First Nation have to be ‘their own heroes’ amid wildfire?
In the face of ‘pure devastation,’ Northern Ontario reserves were largely left to fend for themselves, with the provincial and federal governments failing to even respond to calls
'It's a miracle': First Nation members escape northwestern Ontario wildfire as community burns to the ground
Namaygoosisagagun First Nation, also known as Collins First Nation, has been destroyed by a wildfire that spans over 350,000 hectares in northwestern Ontario. Community leaders spoke to CBC News about their harrowing journey by boat to safety as they call for support from the provincial and federal governments.
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