THUNDER BAY — Thunder Bay’s fire chief says the local service is taking steps to be as prepared as possible for a wildfire on the city’s doorstep, as the region is likely to become increasingly susceptible to forest fires.
David Paxton said with disastrous wildfires in places like Fort McMurray, Jasper and California over the past decade or so, it’s something that fire departments are taking seriously.
“There's been conversations from an insurance perspective, just from a risk perspective, and predictions that Northwestern Ontario, just due to timing, due to weather changes, is (increasingly at) risk,” Paxton said. “It's more likely that we're going to have more of these red flag days, as they're called, where they're days that are very favourable for burn conditions to either travel quickly or to increase quickly.”
Wildland fire season officially starts in Ontario on April 1, however in years past, fires have been reported prior to that date.
Paxton said that means the department is actively reviewing its capabilities around things like value protection, where firefighters identify and use heavy sprinklers and other specialized equipment to attempt to defend critical infrastructure against an encroaching fire. He said they’re also focusing on strengthening mutual aid agreements with other area fire services, and working on public education and communications with the public around steps homeowners can take to better preparing their properties in case of dry conditions.
The fire service is working to “provide some confidence that we're looking ahead (and) that we're trying to be prepared for the event that a wildland fire might be knocking on our door,” Paxton said.
Data from Statistics Canada shows that, over the past 25 years, 2023 and 2024 were the two years that saw the most area burned due to forest fire across Canada, with 2023 seeing over three times the total area burned than 2024. Specific to the Northwest, however, the 2024 season was considered quieter than usual with both the total number of fires and area burned below 10-year averages, although year-over-year fire seasons can look remarkably different.
Referring to lessons the local department can take from high-profile disasters, Paxton said clear messaging and communication, as well as early awareness and preparedness, are key.
“If Mother Nature is going to hammer down and decide that it's going to create a situation similar to Los Angeles where the winds are close to 100 kilometres an hour or more … that's how it got to the levels that they did in a lot of cases where they grew so quickly,” he said.
“Once it's well rooted like that, now it's how can you slow it down? How can you get ahead of it? How can you protect your citizens and assets if possible?”
Early awareness means working with other area fire departments and the local Ministry of Natural Resources office and having things like evacuation procedures and plans for sprinkler deployment established early. He added that, over the past couple of years, they’ve done some specific training with the MNR in the spring.
“If I give an example, if Oliver-Paipoonge had a significant wildfire event that was growing and it continues to grow and head our way, at what point do we action efforts in the city of Thunder Bay border that is ahead of where that fire might be heading,” Paxton said.
Over the past several years, Paxton said Thunder Bay Fire Rescue has invested in upgraded and additional portable pumps with plans to add more.
“It's about prioritizing the risk, prioritizing your balance of effort and ability to respond,” he said. “I think we're pretty close to it, although we're probably going to up another few pieces of equipment here this summer.”
Paxton also said that it’s important that residents have a pre-prepared 72-hour emergency kit with necessary supplies and medications ready, as “we never know when those emergencies are going to come,” and evacuation orders could be quick.
And homeowners can do their part, he added, by not storing combustibles near buildings and keeping yards clean and relatively free of flammable materials.
Overall, Paxton said he feels the city is well prepared.
“I think we've discussed it enough and we've gone through in our mind enough how we would respond to an escalating situation.”
