The crew reached safety as the fast-moving fire forced evacuations and halted Canadian National Railway operations near Armstrong.
ARMSTRONG, CANADA — Video recorded aboard a Canadian National Railway freight train shows flames sweeping past the locomotive as crew members call for help during a fast-moving wildfire in northern Ontario.
The footage, shared online by Ontario lawmaker Sol Mamakwa, shows an orange glow filling the cab while fire burns on both sides of the tracks near Armstrong. One crew member warns over the radio that the flames could overtake the train and says the locomotive is surrounded by fire. The workers shown in the video later reached safety, according to reports citing people familiar with the incident.
The tense scene unfolded as wildfires spread across northwestern Ontario, threatening remote communities, disrupting transportation and forcing hundreds of residents and workers to leave the region. Canadian National Railway said its employees in the Armstrong area and residents of the town were evacuated Monday night. The company suspended rail operations near Armstrong as a precaution.
Ontario Provincial Police said three trains carrying combustible or flammable materials had been stopped shortly before 5 p.m. as emergency responders and railway officials assessed conditions. Police said at the time that there was no immediate threat to the wider public. Officials did not release the names of the crew members or provide further details about the train’s cargo.
The video shows flames striking near the locomotive’s windows as crew members communicate by radio. Another train can later be seen moving past the stopped locomotive. Reports said the train was eventually allowed to proceed, and no injuries involving the crew shown in the footage had been reported.
The fire near Armstrong also affected Namaygoosisagagun First Nation, also known as Collins First Nation, and nearby Whitesand First Nation. Residents of Namaygoosisagagun escaped by boat Monday as flames moved toward homes. Chief Helen Paavola told Canadian media that the fire destroyed the community in less than an hour.
By Thursday, the wildfire affecting the Armstrong area had grown to more than 350,000 hectares, or about 865,000 acres, according to Ontario’s Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services. Armstrong is more than 500 kilometers, or about 310 miles, north of Toronto.
The Armstrong fire was part of a broader surge in wildfire activity across Canada. Government figures showed 859 active fires nationwide Thursday, including 113 classified as out of control. More than 2.38 million hectares, or 5.89 million acres, had burned during the season.
Ontario asked the federal government to prepare additional resources to support evacuations from remote northern communities. The province said the requested help could include members of the Canadian Armed Forces. Prime Minister Mark Carney said the federal government was coordinating with provincial and local officials and would provide more assistance as needed.
Indigenous Services Canada said 1,600 people had been evacuated from First Nations communities because of wildfires as of Wednesday. Many evacuees from northern Ontario were being housed in Thunder Bay while authorities monitored the fires and organized further transportation.
Smoke from the fires also spread far beyond the immediate burn zones, worsening air quality in Toronto and across parts of the Great Lakes and northeastern United States. Canadian National Railway had not announced when normal operations near Armstrong would resume.
Author note: Last updated July 17, 2026.