Watching home burn

As northern Ontario wildfires forced thousands from their communities, First Nations members living far away watched the devastation unfold.

Ninah Hermiston

3 Aug 2026 • 7 min read

Smoke fills the sky with fire as evacuees escape on boat from their First Nation.

A viral photograph of Collins First Nation taken by Lyndo Tyler while he was escaping the wildfires that engulfed and destroyed his community. (Lyndo Tyler/Instagram)

Ninah Hermiston

Ninah is an early-career reporter based in Toronto, currently focused on the Residential Schools database. She has previously worked as an associate producer at CBC Kids News and served as a social media manager for various organizations.

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