More than 700 fires burned 441,000 hectares of forest between April and October — nearly three times as many hectares as the 10-year average, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF).
“Ontario’s FireRangers and other emergency management staff worked bravely and tirelessly to fight wildland fires during one of the most challenging fire seasons Ontario and Canada has ever faced,” MNRF Minister Graydon Smith stated in a release. “I’m thankful for their hard work and proud of the incredible dedication they show every day on the job as they protect our communities and natural resources.”
Ontario deployed more than 600 fire management personnel to support Alberta, British Columbia, Northwest Territories, Quebec, Yukon, Nova Scotia, and Minnesota in their firefighting efforts.
In return, the province — which protects 90 million hectares of Crown land — received assistance from 104 fire personnel from Mexico, Idaho and the Canadian Forest Service, as well as firefighting aircraft from Minnesota and the Northwest Territories.
