First Nations groups devastated by Canada’s wildfires say government did not help

Smoke from wildfires settling in the sunset, seen from the shores of Neskantaga First Nation, Ontario. Photograph: Canadian Press/Shutterstock View image in fullscreen Smoke from wildfires settling in the sunset, seen from the shores of Neskantaga First Nation, Ontario. Photograph: Canadian Press/Shutterstock First Nations groups devastated by Canada’s wildfires say government did not help Chiefs in Ontario say they were left to self-evacuate before homes burned to ground, after being told there was no imminent threat Fast-moving wildfires have burned two First Nations communities in Canada to the ground, as members said they were left to self-evacuate without government help or emergency alerts. Thirteen communities in Ontario province have been ordered to evacuate due to wildfires, most of them First Nations. The Ontario premier, Doug Ford, told reporters on Monday that close to 2,000 people had been evacuated so far to cities including Toronto and Niagara Falls. There are nearly 1,000 wildfires burning across Canada, with about 200 in Ontario. The prime minister, Mark Carney, said heat waves and dry weather had combined to create “one of the most intense wildfire seasons in Canadian history”. View image in fullscreen Smoke rising from the Fiftynine Creek wildfire in British Columbia. Photograph: BC Wildfire Service/Reuters Namaygoosisagagun First Nation, located north of Thunder Bay in north-western Ontario, was engulfed by fire on 15 June. About two dozen people quickly boarded boats packed with their possessions and raced across the nearby lake. “If this community waited for a mandatory evacuation process, we’d be doing a recovery mission for the bodies of children, of elders, of men and women,” said Linda Debassige, grand council chief of the Anishinabek Nation, which represents 39 Ontario First Nations. All members safely escaped but the community’s buildings and other infrastructure were completely destroyed. The Namaygoosisagagun people evacuated to Thunder Bay, where the Anishinabek Nation has been providing assistance. Debassige said that Namaygoosisagagun’s chief, Helen Paavola, had made inquiries to the federal government in the days leading up to the fire, but the community had been assured there was no imminent threat. Ford travelled to Thunder Bay over the weekend and said the province was willing to spend whatever was necessary to fight the fires. View image in fullscreen The Whitewater Lake First Nation in north-west Ontario has been burned to the ground. Photograph: Nishnawbe Aski Nation/Reuters However, First Nations leaders, including from the Anishinabek Nation, accused the premier of being unclear about what support the province was providing and, and of disorganisation in coordinating with First Nations. The CBC has reported that although Ontario spent $271m on emergency firefighting in 2025-26, it plans to spend only $150m in 2026-27. The Ontario government did not respond to requests for comment. First Nations communitie