Ontario has welcomed 104 wildfire personnel from Mexico to help battle ongoing forest fires in Northwestern Ontario. The team, made up of 100 firefighters and four agency representatives, arrived Tuesday through Thunder Bay International Airport under the Mutual Aid Resource Sharing Agreement.
Before being deployed, the firefighters will complete training on Ontario’s wildfire response procedures. Officials have not yet announced where they will be assigned.
The Ministry of Natural Resources said the province has also received help from several Canadian provinces, the Canadian Forest Service, and other international partners, including the Pan Canadian Aerial Asset Program.
Recent cooler weather and rainfall have slowed wildfire activity, allowing crews to make progress on larger fires and put out many smaller ones. However, officials warn that dry forest conditions and recent lightning strikes could still spark new fires in the coming days.
A Restricted Fire Zone remains in effect across most of Northwestern Ontario until further notice.
