Canadians Stay Behind, Train Own Wildfire Crews
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- Hubert Wigwas, a Gull Bay First Nation councillor in northern Ontario, defied evacuation orders with a wildfire 24km from his community, setting up sprinklers and fuelling four boats for escape — and now faces an ~C$800 fine he plans to fight in court.
- Sonja Leverkus has trained more than 400 people in Fort Nelson, BC through the Northeast BC Rural Incident Management Team she founded, with members performing prescribed burns and using fundraising-purchased fire wagons to suppress blazes before provincial crews arrive.
- Canada is battling more than 750 active wildfires as of August — including over 150 across Ontario's northwest and around 115 in British Columbia — after the 2023 season burned forest land roughly the size of Syria, the country's most destructive on record.
- Paul Kovacs of the University of Western Ontario said the stay-and-defend mindset is 'aggressively opposed' by Canada's academic community, in contrast to fire-prone countries like Australia, warning that 'preservation of life is first.'
- President Trump has threatened further tariffs on Canada over wildfire smoke crossing into the US Midwest, calling the air 'filthy, polluted,' while Wigwas and Leverkus argue remote communities need official support — not penalties — for grassroots fire response.
- BC Wildfire has increased its full-time staff by 56% in recent years, but the province only hires self-organized rural groups when no provincial firefighters remain available, leaving teams like Leverkus' unofficially recognized.
- Kelly Greene, BC's minister responsible for emergency management, warned residents under evacuation orders: 'We may not be able to get back to you if an emergency happens,' underscoring the official stance against defying orders.
Why it matters: The clash between Canada's official 'evacuate and wait for crews' stance and Indigenous communities' reality of waiting days for out-of-town help exposes a structural gap: BC Wildfire's full-time staff has grown 56% and still can't reach remote towns in time. Until grassroots programs get formal recognition, residents like Wigwas face fines (C$800) for protecting their own homes.
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