TORONTO – The Ontario government had reportedly been warned for years about critical issues within its wildfire management program, but many of the concerns raised continue to affect the province’s ability to face increasingly extreme wildfire seasons. The current season is a clear example: Ontario has already broken the record for the largest number of hectares burned since wildfire data collection began in 1972.
The situation was highlighted in a report published today by Global News (here), which reviewed a series of internal documents and gathered multiple testimonies. According to the Canadian broadcaster, as early as 2016 an internal government report warned that Fire Rangers were leaving the service at an alarming rate, that the workforce was less experienced than in previous years, and that salaries were not competitive compared with similar professions.
The same concerns were reportedly raised again in subsequent reports in 2018 and 2019, while an internal 2022 memorandum allegedly pointed to “an increase in the number of people leaving our organization for employment opportunities elsewhere.”
In recent years, Global News reports, several wildland firefighters and the union representing them have renewed their warnings, arguing that without structural changes Ontario could find itself unprepared when large-scale wildfires strike. And that appears to be the situation now, with Ontario facing an unprecedented wildfire emergency. At the time of writing this article – on the afternoon of July 22, 2026 – , the province had 185 active wildfires, according to real-time data from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, second only to the Northwest Territories, which had 211 active fires. Across Canada, the total number of active wildfires stood at 902.
Ontario is facing a severe emergency, with thousands of people evacuated and hundreds of thousands of hectares already burned — more than 735,000 hectares, and the season is not yet over, with July only underway – read our previous article, here.
The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) has long called for significant wage increases, official recognition of wildland firefighters as firefighters rather than resource technicians, and an increase in permanent positions to provide year-round employment.
However, according to testimonies gathered by Global News, there is growing frustration within the wildfire service that warnings issued over the years have largely been ignored. A former senior wildland fire official, interviewed anonymously, argues that the issue is not only the emergency funding provided during active wildfire situations, but above all the investment required to prepare for the season before fires begin. Those are the resources, the former official says, that are missing. So is another critical element for the stability of the wildfire service: retaining experienced personnel.
Eric Davidson, vice-president of OPSEU Local 728, told Global News that many firefighters are leaving the service to join municipal fire departments, where salaries offer significantly better financial security. “I have friends who’ve gone on to do structural fire in Toronto, for example, and a lot of people say, ‘I would have stayed, but I can’t afford to stay’,” Davidson said.
According to the union representative, the real issue is not necessarily the funding available for wildfire suppression, but rather the resources dedicated to preparedness. “There’s an unlimited budget for fire suppression, but the problem we’re running into is preparedness,” Davidson said. “Preparedness only has whatever budget they expect to spend for the year; that means wages, contract lengths, equipment. So you end up with that experience walking out the door. And it’s going out the door so quickly that they don’t have time to pass on any knowledge anymore,” he added.
In a statement reported by Global News, Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources said the Province begins each year with an initial allocation for emergency wildfire response and, once the season develops and costs become clearer, requests any additional funding required to support operations.
The ministry also highlighted that base funding has increased from $70 million in 2018 to $150 million today, allowing the province to put contracts in place quickly during wildfire season. The government also said it has increased compensation for wildland firefighters and crew leaders.
“Firefighting is based on need, so while the base budget is $150 million every year, we spend significantly more than that,” Premier of Ontario, Doug Ford, said before the weekend, accusing the opposition of politicizing the issue and spreading inaccurate information.
The debate, however, remains heated. And Ontario continues to burn.
The image is taken from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources’ Twitter/X page (@ONresources).