The evacuees of forest fires of two first nations in the northwest of Ontario are being transferred to Toronto and Barrie, Ontario, this weekend, after the leaders of the community declared emergency states this week.
The leaders in Deer Lake First Nation (DLFN), about 70 kilometers from the Manitoba border, said Friday that the entire community of approximately 1,300 people is evacuating Toronto because a close close forest fire is almost 75 square kilometers in size.
In Webese First Nation, about 540 kilometers north of Thunder Bay, Ontario, a fire is burning a kilometer from the community, according to a press release from Friday published by the boss and the council. That caused the first phase of an evacuation for the elderly, children and other vulnerable groups, for a total of about 400 people.
They will be transported to Barrie during the weekend, according to the statement.
“We will continue to monitor the fire to determine if additional evacuation is needed and the ongoing communications with residents will continue,” said Chief Cornelius Wabasse in the statement.
Another forest fire to the northwest of Kenora, Ontario, also displaced the residents of Wabasemoong First Nation Earl this month. Some 800 people in that community were evacuated to the Niagara cataracts, with smaller numbers sent to Kenora and Winnipeg.
Sol Mamakwa, MPP, for the region where the first nations are located, urged the province to accelerate support for evacuees and other communities affected by fires in the north of the province, as well as forest firefighters.
“It is vital that forest firefighters have personnel and resources adequately, since they are in the first line that protect residents in northern Ontario,” he said.
The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources was not immediately available to provide comments on Saturday in response to the Mamakwa statement.
