Wow, it's pretty hazy here today!
Heat, wildfire smoke combine to create dangerous conditions across southwestern Ontario
- Thread starter TheShadow
- Start date
On the day that a 34° temperature was forecast, yesterday, we had instead a nuclear winter. It was quite eerie looking though when I first noticed it upon waking I thought there was a tornado going to be coming along soon. That's usually the case when you see a greenish yellow sky.
Pretty cool day here in Simcoe County.
Pretty cool day here in Simcoe County.
CN rail crew's terrifying video of being trapped by raging wildfire goes viral
Spokesperson says crew members were safely evacuated, and rail service through Armstrong is currently suspended
Author of the article:Bryan Passifiume
Published Jul 15, 2026 • 2 minute read
Fire surrounds a train
The crew trapped inside the cab of a locomotive during a wildfire in northwestern Ontario were safely rescued, according to a statement from the railway. Photo by Sol Mamakwa/X /TORONTO SUN
The crew trapped inside the cab of a locomotive during a wildfire in northwestern Ontario was safely rescued, according to a statement from the railway.
Video of a CN rail crew radioing for help inside of a locomotive surrounded by burning trees near Armstrong, Ont — about 400 km northeast of Kenora and 1,000 km northwest of Toronto — quickly went viral Tuesday evening, highlighting the frightening extent of the northwestern Ontario wildfires.
“This could potentially overtake us here,” one of the unnamed railway employees is heard saying, as burning trees surround the locomotive.
“This has gotten a little scary.”
Walking to the locomotive’s control stand, the crew member — who along with a second person appears to be inhabiting a remote-controlled engine located away from the head end — describes their plight over a two-way radio.
CN closes rail line through Armstrong
“Y’all need to hurry up here, like seriously — we’re encased by flames now,” he’s heard speaking into the radio.
“Yeah, I hear you,” a voice replied, telling him they are “notching up” — a railway term indicating that the engineer is applying throttle to set the locomotive in motion.
In a statement to the Toronto Sun, a CN spokesperson confirmed that the train’s crew members were all safely evacuated.
“CN has temporarily suspended rail operations near Armstrong as a precaution due to wildfire activity in the area,” the statement read. “As a safety measure, CN employees in the area and residents of the town of Armstrong were evacuated Monday night.”
The statement said the railway is maintaining close contact with Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and local authorities, and that the safety of employees, the community, and emergency responders remain their top priority.
Armstrong is a terminal point for CN’s Caramat subdivision, a railway line that’s part of the railway’s transcontinental route for both freight and VIA Rail trains.
VIA Rail has also cancelled its Toronto-to-Vancouver Canadian passenger trains due to the fire risk.
bpassifiume@postmedia.com
torontosun.com
Spokesperson says crew members were safely evacuated, and rail service through Armstrong is currently suspended
Author of the article:Bryan Passifiume
Published Jul 15, 2026 • 2 minute read
Fire surrounds a train
The crew trapped inside the cab of a locomotive during a wildfire in northwestern Ontario were safely rescued, according to a statement from the railway. Photo by Sol Mamakwa/X /TORONTO SUN
The crew trapped inside the cab of a locomotive during a wildfire in northwestern Ontario was safely rescued, according to a statement from the railway.
Video of a CN rail crew radioing for help inside of a locomotive surrounded by burning trees near Armstrong, Ont — about 400 km northeast of Kenora and 1,000 km northwest of Toronto — quickly went viral Tuesday evening, highlighting the frightening extent of the northwestern Ontario wildfires.
“This could potentially overtake us here,” one of the unnamed railway employees is heard saying, as burning trees surround the locomotive.
“This has gotten a little scary.”
Walking to the locomotive’s control stand, the crew member — who along with a second person appears to be inhabiting a remote-controlled engine located away from the head end — describes their plight over a two-way radio.
CN closes rail line through Armstrong
“Y’all need to hurry up here, like seriously — we’re encased by flames now,” he’s heard speaking into the radio.
“Yeah, I hear you,” a voice replied, telling him they are “notching up” — a railway term indicating that the engineer is applying throttle to set the locomotive in motion.
In a statement to the Toronto Sun, a CN spokesperson confirmed that the train’s crew members were all safely evacuated.
“CN has temporarily suspended rail operations near Armstrong as a precaution due to wildfire activity in the area,” the statement read. “As a safety measure, CN employees in the area and residents of the town of Armstrong were evacuated Monday night.”
The statement said the railway is maintaining close contact with Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and local authorities, and that the safety of employees, the community, and emergency responders remain their top priority.
Armstrong is a terminal point for CN’s Caramat subdivision, a railway line that’s part of the railway’s transcontinental route for both freight and VIA Rail trains.
VIA Rail has also cancelled its Toronto-to-Vancouver Canadian passenger trains due to the fire risk.
bpassifiume@postmedia.com
CN rail crew's terrifying video of being trapped by raging wildfire goes viral
Chilling video shows CN railway workers surrounded by flames near Armstrong, Ont. before being safely evacuated from the wildfire. Read on.