Residents of Mattagami First Nation began returning to their homes this week after officials classified the Timmins 9 wildfire as being held.
The return marks the end of a displacement period for a community facing the immediate threat of a large-scale forest fire. The successful containment of the blaze prevents further evacuations and allows residents to begin assessing damage to their lands.
More than 160 people were displaced by the fire [2]. Chief Jennifer Constant said that residents could begin the return process on Sunday, June 13 [1]. Some reports indicated the return would occur as early as Monday, June 14 [4].
The wildfire, which ignited on May 31, 2026 [0], grew to approximately 3,100 hectares [0]. Firefighting crews worked to bring the blaze under control, with some reports describing the fire as being held while others said it was under control [3, 4].
Officials said the shift in the fire's status was aided by cooler, wet weather [0, 1, 3]. These environmental conditions, combined with the efforts of firefighting crews, reduced the immediate risk to the community and the surrounding area [0, 1, 3].
Mattagami First Nation is located near Timmins, Ontario [0, 1, 2]. The coordinated effort between local crews and forest fighters ensured the safety of the evacuees during the peak of the blaze [2].
“More than 160 people were displaced by the fire”
The transition of the Timmins 9 fire to 'being held' status indicates that while the fire is not completely extinguished, it is no longer expected to expand under current conditions. The reliance on wet weather to assist firefighting crews highlights the volatility of northern Ontario's wildfire seasons, where containment often depends on a combination of human intervention and favorable meteorological shifts.
