Phillip Campbell has been closely watching the skies to see which way the wind blows — and whether it will keep nearby wildfires at bay.
The elder and head councillor of North Spirit Lake First Nation in northwestern Ontario is among roughly 240 evacuees travelling south to escape Red Lake 40, a fire that’s more than 11,000 hectares large.
The first planes out of the remote Oji-Cree community landed in Thunder Bay Friday afternoon. From there, evacuees — consisting of some of the community’s most vulnerable — will be flown to Toronto.
Fewer than 500 people live in North Spirit Lake, located in Treaty 5 territory.
As a passenger aboard the first plane, Campbell said he’s worried about those left waiting for the next available aircraft.
“If it’s windy from there, the fire will go to North Spirit really fast and that’s dangerous,” Campbell said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen to them if it actually comes down to the wire.”
South of North Spirit Lake, one of the region’s largest remote First Nations — Pikangikum — is preparing for its evacuation starting Saturday. About 2,000 evacuees from the Ojibway community in Treaty 5 have been identified, and are being sent to Toronto and Mississauga because of Red Lake 62, an out-of-control blaze that’s more than 26,000 hectares large.
Ben Curtis, inspector of operational support for the Ontario Provincial Police in the northwest region, spent Friday fielding calls from Pikangikum.
“They are compiling lists in collaboration with our provincial liaison team that’s on the ground, and that’s really to focus on the Level 1 and Level 2 evacuations,” Curtis said.
“[They’re] focusing on a little bit more of the vulnerable population that are in Pikangikum — those that are a little less mobile, those that have some kind of increased needs such as medical concerns and things like that.”
A much smaller community, MacDowell Lake, has also issued an evacuation alert and is urging members to leave. Fewer than 100 people live there.
There are nearly 50 wildfires burning across the region at various stages of control. The largest, Red Lake 12, has reached more than 195,000 hectares, setting a record for most hectares burned in Ontario.
“Ongoing drought conditions, low relative humidity, and a lack of precipitation through the northern fire management sectors have contributed to extreme fire behaviour and continued growth on active fires,” fire information officer Alison Bezubiak told CBC News in an email Friday.
“More precipitation is expected through the weekend, but we will have a better idea of how that rain will impact the wildland fire hazard and fire behaviour once it materializes.”
The office of Jill Dunlop, Ontario’s minister of emergency preparedness and response, provided an emailed statement to CBC News on Friday about the government’s support for evacuees.
“Our government is working closely with local communities, First Nations leadership, and emergency partners to co-ordinate safe evacuations in North Spirit Lake First Nation and [assist] with the relocation of vulnerable residents from Pikangikum,” it says.
“We remain in close contact with our provincial and federal partners to make sure people receive the care, transportation, and support they need.”
Still, those in transit are feeling the weight of uncertainty at hand.
“It’s difficult when you travel from home,” said Homer Meekis, a band councillor for North Spirit Lake, who arrived in Thunder Bay on Friday with his children and grandchildren.
“Staying in a hotel with family members, it is going to be really crowded and stuff, and people are used to their own places.”
North Spirit Lake prepared for a community evacuation about a month ago, but at that time, the fire activity eased enough to allow people to stay, explained evacuee Edna Rae-Harper, who is Chief Brandon Rae’s aunt.
“I just wanted to stay home, but nobody can stay home because everybody has to go,” she said.
She was told at least six planes were expected to bring people to Thunder Bay Friday and Saturday.
Meanwhile, Sandy Lake First Nation — which began to bring its 2,000 wildfire evacuees home last Friday — has had to pause a number of flights due to demands for aircraft in other fire-affected communities.
Though five private flights out of Thunder Bay have been arranged by the Oji-Cree community for the weekend, as well as a small plane in Kapuskasing, all evacuee flights from Barrie and Peterborough have been put on hold, the First Nation said in an update on Facebook Friday.
Air quality warnings and special air quality statements remain in effect in much of northwestern Ontario as the fire hazard ranges across the region.
“Following widespread rain overnight and this morning, the wildland fire hazard is low to moderate across the majority of the northwest region except for the Red Lake and Nipigon fire management sectors,” said Bezubiak.
“A high hazard remains through the central and eastern portions of the Nipigon sector. In Red Lake, the hazard is high through the central and western portions of the sector, with an area of extreme hazard around Poplar Hill.”
Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources says it’s all hands on deck to keep communities safe.
“Wildland fire management staff are working around the clock to protect these communities through aerial suppression, ground operations, and structural protection efforts,” said Mary Votsis, a spokesperson for the department, in an emailed statement Friday.
“Our highly trained FireRangers, supported by a fleet of specialized aircraft and advanced technology, are among the best in the world.”
