Fleeing by boat: Why the Namaygoosisagagun First Nation wildfire tragedy was so predictable

By Sara Wilson, PhD Candidate, Communications, Simon Fraser University On July 13, the residents of Namaygoosisagagun First Nation in Northern Ontario watched a massive wildfire jump the rail line near their homes. Facing an approaching 350,000-hectare fire, just over two dozen people who were in the community at the time could not wait for official evacuation co-ordinates, government transport or provincial emergency alerts. Instead, they evacuated entirely by boat, carrying only what they could hold. While every member survived, their community was entirely destroyed. Another First Nation, W…