TORONTO – The wildfire emergency remains severe in Ontario, and reinforcements are also coming from abroad to help fight the advancing flames: on Wednesday, 100 Mexican firefighters arrived and they are now working alongside Ontario crews to protect communities and forests from wildfires in the northwestern part of the province.
“We’re grateful for their support on the ground and the collaboration that strengthens our wildland fire response efforts,” wrote the Ontario Ministry of Naturales Resources in a post on Facebook (here below), to thank the Mexican bomberos who joined personnel of Ontario and from Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Yukon and Prince Edward Island, as well as federal firefighting teams.
“Mexico – wrote on Twitter/X the México Ambassador to Canada, Carlos Joaquín (here below) – is proud to stand with Canada in times of need, just as friends and partners do. Our firefighters are highly trained, experienced, and courageous professionals. They have come not only to help combat these wildfires, but also to support the Canadian people. This is what the Canada–Mexico partnership is about: solidarity, cooperation, and standing together when it matters most.”
Mexico is proud to stand with Canada in times of need, just as friends and partners do. Our firefighters are highly trained, experienced, and courageous professionals. They have come not only to help combat these wildfires, but also to support the Canadian people.
This is… https://t.co/Lh8tOzD5jL— Carlos Joaquín (@CarlosJoaquin) July 29, 2026
Ontario Natural Resources Minister Mike Harris also personally thanked the Mexican firefighters today in an X/Twitter post featuring a video (here below) by Ontario Forest Fires: “A huge thank you to Mexico for sending firefighters and agency representatives to support Ontario during this challenging wildfire season. Your willingness to stand alongside us reflects the strength of international cooperation and the shared commitment to keeping people safe.”
A huge thank you to Mexico for sending firefighters and agency representatives to support Ontario during this challenging wildfire season. Your willingness to stand alongside us reflects the strength of international cooperation and the shared commitment to keeping people safe. https://t.co/AqKD6A2sS2
— Mike Harris (@mikeharrisjrpc) July 30, 2026
According to data from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC – updated in real time, here), there are currently 160 active wildfires in Ontario, including 30 that remain out of control.
Fourteen communities in northern Ontario have been evacuated, according to Emergency Preparedness and Response Minister Jill Dunlop, and so far only five of those communities have been allowed to return home. Around 2,000 people remain displaced, finding shelter in host communities across the province.
However, Ontario’s wildfire response could have been better, according to First Nations leaders, who have called for a public inquiry into the provincial government’s handling of the crisis. They argue that some communities were effectively left to manage on their own and accuse the government of failing to provide assistance quickly enough.
Last week, Ontario Premier Doug Ford rejected claims that the province could have done more to prepare. “I totally disagree with that,” Ford said when asked about the accusations from First Nations communities, adding that the Ontario government had assisted around 2,000 people from affected communities by providing hotel accommodation, food and other support.
Later, when reporters asked whether he would commit to launching a public inquiry, Ontario Natural Resources Minister Mike Harris said the government is currently focused on firefighting operations. “Right now we’re very focused on direct suppression efforts and making sure that people and property are safe here in the province,” he said, according to Global News. “Once we get through the fire season, just like we do after every fire season, we go through what’s happened well, what hasn’t worked the best with our teams and we look to change those things for the following season.”
Meanwhile, the emergency continues across the rest of Canada. According to official Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) data, there are currently 878 active wildfires nationwide, including 174 out of control, 537 out of control but being monitored, 43 under containment and 124 under control.
The Northwest Territories remain the hardest-hit area with 212 fires, followed by Ontario with 160, Manitoba with 144, British Columbia with 132, Quebec with 121, Saskatchewan with 45, Yukon with 25, Alberta with 4, New Brunswick with 4, Newfoundland and Labrador with 2 and Nova Scotia with 2. Another 27 fires are burning in national parks.
CIFFC figures also show that since the beginning of the year, Canada has already lost 3.8 million hectares to wildfires. With the wildfire season still underway and 878 fires still active, the country has already reached the 10-year average amount of land burned.
In the photo at the top of the article, the arrival of the Mexican firefighters in Canada (photo from the Facebook page of Canada’s Foreign Policy—Global Affairs Canada)
