OPSEU/SEFPO: Ontario is burning due to government inaction and poor planning

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Toronto, ON, July 16, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Ford government is failing to deliver on its promise to “Protect Ontario” as OPSEU/SEFPO wildland firefighters, pilots, and operational support staff face yet another brutal fire reason – putting their lives on the line without adequate investment in staffing, training, and operational capacity.

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There are nearly 200 forest fires currently active across Northern Ontario, resulting in evacuations of rural and First Nations communities, widespread damage, property loss, and highway closures.

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“The fact is that Ontario’s fire seasons have changed, but our staffing hasn’t kept pace,” said Jeremy Rouse, OPSEU/SEFPO Chair of the Ministry Employee Relations Committee (MERC) for the Ministry of Natural Resources. 

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From the perspective of the workers who do this job every day, Rouse noted that Ontario should have at least 250 initial attack crews ready to respond, but right now roughly 153 crews are available. That is only 61 per cent of what is needed.

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“We cannot continue to respond to increasingly severe fire seasons with fewer resources than the situation demands,” said Rouse. 

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“Ontario is burning. Fire crews and the staff who support them are overworked and exhausted. People are being evacuated from their homes. Communities are being destroyed. Air quality is among the worst in the world. When is Doug Ford actually going to step up to Protect Ontario?” said JP Hornick, President of OPSEU/SEFPO.

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Evacuations have been ordered in communities including Armstrong, Lac La Croix First Nation, Collins First Nation, Whites and First Nation, Gull Bay First Nation, and Lac des Mille Lacs First Nation.

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“Whole communities are burning down. Not having enough staff is a result of intentional choices by the Ford government. The alarms have been sounding for years and this is the tragic fallout,” stated Hornick.

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“Populations who are already vulnerable, including First Nations communities, are being hit hard and need immediate support that begins with a coordinated response from the provincial and federal governments.”

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According to the province’s forest fire information hub, 483 forest fires have been recorded so far in the 2026 season, well above last year’s total of 351 forest fires on this date and above the 10-year average of 320.

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“Ontario should be doing everything in its power to strengthen our fire response by staffing up and increasing core resources,” stated Rouse. “But every year we fall behind, failing to keep up with the projections of what fire seasons are going to look like in the future.”

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This new reality should become the basis of planning Ontario’s emergency preparedness for fire season, yet every year the Ford government neglects to make the real investments needed to keep up with changing fire seasons.