What Canada can learn from Indigenous fire practices

The Decibel · Jul 22, 2026 · 24m

Nearly 900 wildfires are burning across Canada, and early estimates suggest Ontario is experiencing its worst wildfire season on record. In Northwest Ontario, more than a dozen communities – most of which are First Nations – have been evacuated, with some people taken to places as far away as Niagara Falls. As fire seasons get worse, Indigenous people are disproportionately affected, but their historical practices of forest management – practices that could improve conditions – had historically been suppressed in much of Canada.

Riley Yesno is an Anishinaabe scholar, writer, and commentator…