Thunder Bay / Kenora Region – August 9, 2026 – More than 1,600 people remain under evacuation orders across northwestern Ontario as 110 wildfires continue to burn, according to the latest update from Ontario’s Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services.
Fifteen fires are not under control, including the large Rinker Lake Complex (Thunder Bay 36, Dryden 34 and Dryden 35), which covers hundreds of thousands of hectares. Crews from Ontario, Alberta, Nova Scotia and Mexico are working the complex, supported by helicopters and heavy equipment.
Fourteen communities have been evacuated at various points this season, with six having returned home. Fire officials report that suppression efforts are ongoing, though extreme conditions earlier in the summer complicated response.
The forest fire hazard remains elevated in parts of the region.
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