THUNDER BAY, Ont. – Premier Doug Ford arrived in the smoky regions of northwestern Ontario on Saturday, discovering a city overwhelmed by the ongoing battle against fierce wildfires, while concerns grow about how Queen’s Park and Ottawa are handling the situation.
The damage from these wildfires is visible just 150 kilometres west of Thunder Bay, where vast stretches of forest have been reduced to ash, leaving behind countless burnt and broken tree branches scattered across the blackened ground.
Premier Doug Ford addressed criticism regarding the province’s wildfire response in northern Ontario. “By no means have we even stalled for a minute on this,” he stated during a news conference in Thunder Bay on Saturday.
Arlyn Mc Adorey for the
“I understand it’s a terrible scenario right now,” Ford told reporters in the city of over 130,000 located along Lake Superior. “There’s 655,000 hectares that are burning across our province, but we’re doing absolutely every resource we can possibly throw at this.”
Premier Doug Ford visited Thunder Bay, where many evacuees escaping wildfires in northern Ontario have found refuge. He was accompanied by government officials as the province faces scrutiny over its emergency measures. (July 18, 2026)
“By no means have we even stalled for a minute on this.”
Ford’s remarks were made following several inquiries about criticisms from some evacuated communities that claimed they received insufficient warning when forced to leave their homes abruptly or felt ignored despite earlier requests for assistance.
Dale Wirta, owner of Cushing Lake Resort, recounted calling his neighbor at Thousand Lakes Resort as fires silently engulfed the area around them.
Dale Wirta, owner of Cushing Lake Resort, with his dog Koda. Wirta’s resort was destroyed by the northern Ontario wildfires. He said he received “zero notification that the fire was even close.”
Dale Wirta
They had been unaware that fire was approaching their property early this week; perhaps only saved due to Wirta’s warning call.
He noted he received “zero notification that the fire was even close,” adding:
In panic mode, Wirta rushed from cabin to cabin banging on doors trying to wake everyone up.“I went to bed, then got a text at about 10:15 saying that the fire had jumped and wasn’t that far from us,” he explained. “The fire was extremely close at that time.”
“Forty-five minutes after getting that text, Thousand Lakes Resort was on fire.”
