A freight train crew escaped on foot after flames engulfed their locomotive near Armstrong, Ontario, as a collision during a rescue attempt sparked further fires on 14 July. Three trains carrying combustible materials were halted in the area, with all crew evacuated safely and no injuries reported.
Northwestern Ontario is battling at least 128 separate fires, part of more than 800 active blazes nationwide as of 15 July. Evacuation orders cover Armstrong and several First Nations communities, including Lac La Croix, Collins, Whitesand, and Lac des Mille Lacs, while Highway 11 and other major roads were briefly closed.
Severe heat and humidity pushing feels-like temperatures to 40°C are complicating firefighting efforts. Thick orange smoke has drifted as far as Toronto, where air quality has deteriorated sharply, with plumes visible across the Great Lakes and eastern North America.