The Ontario government is spending $20 million to enhance firefighting efforts by upgrading the Vedette and Socket Lake forward attack bases to assist in the deployment of crews, equipment and aircraft in northwestern Ontario, the province said in a news release Monday. “This investment will strengthen Ontario’s world-class wildland fire operations by ensuring these vital response hubs can continue to position resources close to fires where they are needed most, helping keep residents and communities safe,” the province said. “Having two forward attack facilities dedicated to providing a full-scale fire response capability will be a tremendous asset to our dedicated personnel and to the communities that rely on their support,” said Algoma-Manitoulin MPP, Bill Rosenburg. “This investment will improve response times, strengthen coordination among teams and enhance the overall ability of our personnel to mobilize quickly and efficiently when emergencies arise.” The work is expected to be completed ahead of the 2027 fire season. The province said it’s also preparing to upgrade additional wildland fire management facilities in Ranger Lake and Ogoki. This current fire season, Ontario has seen 786 wildland fires burning more than 744,000 hectares.
