Railworkers who found themselves halted in a hellscape of wildfire in northwestern Ontario this week had to flee the carnage on foot, according to their union.
“They had to run a mile or so,” Teamsters spokesperson Marc-André Gauthier told CTV News Thursday. “They ended up having to run for their lives.”
Video of the employees, who have not been named publicly, radioing for help while surrounded by a wall of flame went viral online this week. The images were captured by a railworker who pans around a cab cast in orange light.
As the camera captures the flames just metres away, he worries out loud that the fire could “overtake” them.
CN Railway said Wednesday that crewmembers involved in the incident were able to escape safely but has not provided further details on the nature of the recovery effort. CTV News has reached out to the company to confirm Gauthier’s claims.
“They have been treated for inhaling all those toxic fumes,” said Gauthier of the railworkers. “They of course are going to be impacted by this. … Nobody should have to go through that for their work.”
The Teamsters have already questioned why the workers were in that area to begin with. Gauthier claimed CN was aware of wildfire activity in the region.
The company has since suspended service near Armstrong, Ont. CTV News has also asked CN to provide details on its protocol for deciding when to suspend service.
Gauthier also said the union has been in contact with Transport Canada, the federal transportation regulator that he says plans to launch an investigation into the incident.
CTV News has reached out to Transport Canada to provide confirmation and details. The Canadian Press reported Thursday CN Railway is also investigating.
Ontario burns
Ontario is undergoing a rash of out-of-control wildfires this week. Several communities have been evacuated to safety as flames tear through the province’s northwest.
Armstrong, Lac La Croix First Nation, Whitesand First Nation, Gull Bay First Nation and Lac des Mille Lacs First Nation have all been ordered to evacuate due to fires.
The blazes have also sent a heavy layer of smoke billowing to the south and east. Toronto charted the worst air quality in the world on Wednesday and moved to third place Thursday. The haze wafted south of the border, leading to international headlines and warnings of hazardous conditions in several U.S. states.
U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra posted a statement Wednesday on social media, saying battling these fires requires a “shared response” from both countries.
“I commend the outstanding cooperation between the United States and Canada as we confront these fires together. Our two governments are monitoring and sharing information in real time — coordination that reflects our partnership at its best,” Hoekstra wrote.
Ontario’s Emergency Preparedness Minister Jill Dunlop asked the federal government to halve its aircraft preparation times should the province need urgent help.
There have been 483 wildfires recorded inside Ontario’s fire region in 2026, compared to 351 last year and the 10-year average of 320.
With files from CTV News’ Aarjavee Raaj and Ethan Morneau
