It's officially fire season, and the province says it's ready for what's to come.
Ontario's wildland fire season is not tied to the amount of snow on the ground, it runs from April 1 to Oct. 31 every year.
To prepare, the province says it's added staff and increased pay for critical staff — including firefighters, pilots and aircraft maintenance engineers.
“We are ready to protect communities from wildland fires, with all the necessary resources in place,” said Mike Harris, Minister of Natural Resources, in a news release. “Our government stands behind the wildland firefighters, pilots and support staff that make up our frontline response and we will ensure they have everything they need for the upcoming fire season.”
While last year's wildfire season was quieter than the 10-year average, the fires that did start burned more area than usual.
In 2025, 643 fires across the province burned 597,654 hectares of land, which is larger than Prince Edward Island. Over the past decade, the average has been about 712 fires a year, with 210,232 hectares burned.
For 2026, the province says it's added 68 permanent staff. Among other measures, it has also committed over $500 million to buy six new Canadian-made Havilland DHC-515 waterbombers, and updated the Wildland Fire Management Act.
With half of the forest fires being caused by people, the province has tips to reduce the risk of human-caused blazes. They are:
- Check the interactive map at ontario.ca/ForestFires before starting an outdoor fire.
- Make sure campfires don't get too big and are fully put out at the end of the night or before leaving the site.
- Have tools and water around to control outdoor fires.