100 firefighters from Mexico deployed to Ontario to battle wildfires

More than 100 firefighters from Mexico have been deployed to Ontario to help battle wildfires that have been ravaging the province.

The crews arrived in Thunder Bay on Monday afternoon.

“Once they have received their provincial briefing they will be assigned to fires in the Northwest and Northeast Regions,” officials said in a post on social media.

Officials say that 103 firefighters have been sent to Ontario, including two supervisory overhead personnel.

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A Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry spokesperson said Ontario is also receiving aid from Minnesota in the form of three firefighting aircrafts.

“The aircraft are working on fires in the Northwest Region, and the Mexican firefighters will be assigned to fires in both the Northeast and Northwest Region where they are most needed,” Communications and Media Relations Specialist Isabelle Chenard told CTV News Toronto in a statement.

As of Tuesday morning, there are 52 active wildland fires in Ontario. Officials confirmed Tuesday afternoon that 19 are considered “not yet under control.”

Officials noted there is potential for increased fire behaviours this week.

“While some fires may have appeared quiet over the past few days, temperatures are forecasted to reach the 30 degree range across the majority of the province today and many wildland fires remain active on the landscape,” the ministry wrote on Twitter.

Officials are urging residents to take extra care doing any activities that could potentially spark a fire, such as parking or driving vehicles on dry grass or using hot machinery.

As of Tuesday, the majority of northern Ontario remains under an “extreme” forest fire danger rating.

As a result, most of the province has been placed within a Restricted Fire Zone (RFZ), meaning open fires and the burning of grass or debris are temporarily banned.

An image of Restricted Fire Zones in Ontario on June 20, 2023.

Since the beginning of the fire season, provincial data shows crews have fought at least 276 fires in 2023, more than triple those seen in the same time period in 2022.

• Northern forest fire situation eases, but trouble may be ahead: MNRF

Officials confirmed Tuesday that 120,230 hectares have burned across Ontario to date this season.

In the same period of time in 2022, just 2,383 hectares burned.

The 10-year average of forest fires in Ontario for this time period is about 203.

Numerous provinces are dealing with wildfires, including B.C. and Quebec.

Quebec is also receiving an international deployment of 79 firefighters from the United States.