No new wildfires in Ontario in 24 hours: Ministry of Natural Resources

There are 177 active wildfires still burning in Ontario, but the Ministry of Natural Resources has reported no new blaze in the last 24 hours.

Still, more than 1,800 people have been forced from their homes as the province grapples with what early estimates suggest is its most devastating wildfire season on record.

Indigenous communities have borne the brunt of the fires, with First Nations making up 12 of the 13 evacuated communities.

Hundreds of people fleeing the fires are staying in Thunder Bay, Ont., though others are taking refuge further south in Toronto and Niagara Falls.

Indigenous leaders have called for a public inquiry into the Ontario government’s wildfire response, saying some communities were essentially left to fend for themselves, but Premier Doug Ford disagreed this week with the suggestion the province could have done more to prepare.

Ford said Tuesday his government did everything it could to deal with the fast-moving fires.