Premier Ford in Thunder Bay as fires continue to devastate northern Ontario

Just shy of 200 wildfires are burning across northern Ontario today as the Ford government continues to face criticism over its wildfire management.

Premier Ford was in Thunder Bay earlier today accompanied by other provincial ministers and the town’s mayor to provide an update on the wildfire situation.

The biggest blaze at this time is dubbed Thunder Bay 36, currently sitting at 318,812 hectares. That’s almost three times the size of the City of Hamilton.

At times like these, journalists like Jon Thompson provide boots-on-the-ground coverage. Thompson, a journalist with Ricochet Media who calls Thunder Bay home, was west of the wildfires burning in northwestern Ontario today.

“The situation is so fluid that I’m struggling to take things to press,” Thompson said. “Because by the time I’m ready to go, the situation has changed again.”

While there are close to 200 fires burning in the region, according to Thompson, Thunder Bay 36 alone is enough to paint the picture as to the sheer scope of this year’s wildfire season.

“This will be what we remember when we look back to the summer of 2026,” said Thompson. “To give you a sense of the size of that, the average 10-year average in Ontario for all fires is 210,000.”

The massive blaze is burning in Wabakimi Provincial Park.

Thompson says communication between northern communities and the provincial government have never been perfect.

“Northern Ontario struggles with a political culture and disconnect with southern Ontario in every way, all the time,” Thompson said. “This is that, turned up to 11.”

The province is currently facing backlash from critics who say it is not doing enough to assist those communities with their evacuation efforts.

“The communications they are getting from Ontario are insufficient for them to be able to make decisions they’re making, and Ontario is making it incumbent upon them to make those decisions,” Thompson said.

READ MORE: A look at the hundreds of wildfires burning from coast to coast in Canada

Premier Ford was in Thunder Bay today where he reiterated his government’s commitment to fighting the fires.

“If it’s $500 million this year, so be it,” Ford said. “I’ve made clear direction to our ministers, I don’t care what this costs.”

He said he will not spare a penny in keeping Ontarians safe as he condemned his opposition.

“It’s absolutely disgusting, in my opinion, that they want to politicize and play games when people’s lives are on the line,” Ford said.

Last year, the Ford government spent $271 million in its emergency forest firefighting efforts — twice the base budget of $135 million. This year, that base budget was $150 million, which NDP Leader Marit Stiles says is not enough.

“There were cuts made and this premier continues to act like this is — every year, it’s like a great, big surprise that this happens,” Stiles said yesterday.

Thompson says the last thing he wants is for the communities in northern Ontario to get caught in the political crossfire.

“I don’t want to put scandal on this,” Thompson said. “This may be the time for that where you are, but where we are, this is the time to come together and figure out what’s happening and do what needs to be done.”

Despite this, Thompson hopes the political discourse can help bring about meaningful changes.

“When we look back on this moment, particularly because it’s caused a bit of a diplomatic rift with the United States, particularly because there’s been political damage that has happened as a result of this, and particularly because communities in their entirety are being lost, and that matters to people everywhere,” Thompson said. “That, I believe, will prompt a real investigation into what we’re doing well, what we’re not doing well, and hopefully, some public engagement.”

WATCH MORE: Premier Ford rebukes funding criticisms as province sees near 190 wildfires