2026-May-14
Fighting Fire with Tech and a New Law: Ontario's 2026 Wildland Strategy
The 2025 fire season was significantly more intense than the previous year, with 597,654 hectares burned compared to approximately 90,000 hectares in 2024. In response, the provincial and federal governments are aggressively expanding both human and mechanical resources for the 2026 fire season and beyond.
New Legislation: The Wildland Fire Management Act (WFMA)
Effective January 1, 2026, the Resource Management and Safety Act, 2025 was renamed and modernized as the Wildfire Fire Management Act (WFMA) to governs how fires are managed on public land. Key changes include:
- Mandatory Municipal Planning: Municipalities within fire regions will now be mandated to develop and maintain annual Wildland Fire Management Plans.
- Trip Tracking: Because humans are responsible for approximately 50% of wildfires, under the new Act officers can now request trip details and contact information from individuals in “wildland areas” to help prevent ignitions and improve search and rescue.
- Streamlined Permits: The new regulations streamline the permit process for outdoor fires while introducing monetary penalties for those who fail to comply.
“Smarter” Firefighting: 2026 Tech Advancements
The MNR is shifting from a reactive “manual spotting” model to a high-tech, data-driven approach:
Satellite Detection: Ontario is currently using MODIS, VIIRS and Sentinel satellite data to monitor fire activity bridging the gap until the dedicated federal WildFireSat Mission launches in 2029.- Predictive Mapping: Fire Intelligence Specialists use modelling applications like FireStar to predict fire behavior and investigate potential “new starts” in remote areas.
- Drone Surveillance (RPAS): Drones equipped with infrared (IR) and RGB cameras are now being used to detect hot spots and help crews respond quickly before a fire spreads.
- Property Protection (Sprinkler Systems): For cottage owners, the MNR is increasingly using mobile, high-pressure automated sprinkler units. These can be deployed by small teams to create “wet zones” around cottage clusters, shielding them from windborne embers.
Strengthening the Long-Term Response
The province is backing these technical upgrades with an additional investment in people and equipment:
Expanded Staffing: Adding new 68 permanent firefighting and support positions for 2026 (in addition to the 100 positions added in 2024 and 2025).- Fleet Expansion: Over $500 million is being invested to purchase six new De Havilland DHC-515 waterbombers. While these are expected in the early 2030s, they will significantly bolster Ontario’s current fleet of 28 specialized aircraft.
- Infrastructure: To protect over 90 million hectares of public land, the MNR now operates a massive network across Ontario, including 14 fire management headquarters, three attack bases, 11 forward attack bases, two regional fire centres, one provincial fire centre, one emergency operations centre, three logistics centres, seven aircraft hangars and one flight training centre.
How You Can Help
With more people in the woods and hotter summers expected, the MNR is moving toward a proactive, tech-heavy defense. As a cottager or boater, your role is simple: follow the new regulations, stay informed on local conditions and fire bans thoughout the fire season, and take steps to ensure your property is FireSmart.
Check out GBA’s weekly Fire Danger Rating Report every Thursday throughout the fire season to keep on top of risk levels across the Bay.