Influx of calls made to area fire departments reporting ‘structure fires’ from people smelling smoke from northern wildfires

Fire departments across the region, including Sarnia Fire, reported a spike in 9-1-1 calls after wildfire smoke pushed into the area June 27, 2023. (Gerry Dewan/CTV News London)

There was a constant haze over communities across southern Ontario Tuesday evening. The smoke and the smell that came with it prompted numerous 9-1-1 calls.

“Seven calls come in back to back, people thought there were structure fires because the smell was so strong and there was smoke,” said Sarnia Fire Department Captain Mike Otis, the public information officer for the department.

He said firefighters can often distinguish fire smells, whether it’s a campfire or structure fire, but he said the smoke on Tuesday was unique and had responding firefighters questioning if there might be actually be structure fire in the area.

Captain Otis said the department took two steps. First, they cancelled firefighter training to protect staff and, secondly, they put a burn ban in place.

Otis said the ban was to protect the health of residents and to ease concerns, "It was already really bad, to the point where people should avoid being in that poor air quality for too long, so we didn't want to add to that."

The Ontario Environment Ministry's Air Quality Health Index reached 13 in Sarnia on Tuesday. That put the city into the “very high risk” level, and it was among the highest readings registered in the country.

The Sarnia Fire Department suspended outdoor fire training and put in place a burn ban on June 27, 2023. (Gerry Dewan/CTV News London)

Many Sarnia residents who spent the early part of Tuesday inside didn't realize that the smoke had pushed into the area in the early afternoon. Once they stepped outside, they were startled by how much smoke was in the air. One person described it to CTV News as “gross.”

Sandy Knapp had no idea the smoke had moved in until her mother called, "I was talking to my mother who lives in Grand Bend, about an hour from here,” said Knapp. “She was telling she really smelled a lot of smoke. It really caught me off guard. It was really hazy here and I walked outside and I could really smell the smoke."

“You need to listen to your bodies,” said Lori Lucas, supervisor of Health Protection for Lambton Public Heath.

Sarnia residents said decreased levels of smoke, and the odour that accompanied it, were welcome on June 28, 2023. (Gerry Dewan/CTV News London)

Lucas encourages people to monitor the Air Quality Health Index and said they should be prepared to adjust behaviours, "If you're experiencing symptoms such as eye irritations, nose and throat [irritation], cough, that sort of thing, remove yourself from that situation. If you’re outside, think about the activities you're doing; can you change those activities?"

While the smoke continued to blanket the area early Wednesday morning, there was a clearing in the afternoon. Still, Environment Canada officials said waves of smoke could cycle through the area again over the next day or so.