The group of workers sheltered inside a shipping container while waiting to be rescued on Saturday. CBC News
Nineteen construction workers narrowly escaped a fast-moving wildfire in northwestern Ontario after taking shelter in a shipping container as the blaze raged around them. The dramatic ordeal unfolded near Sandy Lake, where the crew had been working on a project for the Sandy Lake First Nation.
Most of the crew hailed from communities across Manitoba and worked for Sigfusson Northern and Milestone Environmental Contracting Inc. What began as a routine workday quickly turned into a survival mission as wildfire Red Lake 12, now over 150,000 hectares in size, changed direction and surged toward them.
From Routine to Chaos in Minutes
On Saturday morning, the fire was about 40 kilometres away when the crew began their day. But by 9:30 a.m., it was closing in. Neal Gillespie, a member of the Milestone team, said things took a terrifying turn in under an hour.
The crew attempted to relocate to a nearby work camp 14 kilometres west after being asked to help create fire breaks. But the fire advanced too quickly. Forced to abandon their gear, they followed their emergency training and huddled together in a shipping container, surrounded by barren ground and smoke-filled skies.
Encircled by Fire
“The flames literally danced around us,” Gillespie recalled. Several nearby containers caught fire, and eventually, their own shelter began to burn. The crew fled just in time.
Rescue helicopters made multiple attempts to reach them, but the thick smoke made it nearly impossible to spot the camp or land. Gillespie described three Huey helicopters circling overhead without success.
After several failed airlift attempts, the group decided to flee by road. Driving in a convoy, they reached Sandy Lake First Nation safely after hours of uncertainty.
The wildfire was about 40 kilometres away the construction site when the work day began on Saturday, but the fire had surrounded them before noon.
Emotional Toll and Swift Evacuation
By Saturday evening, the first group of workers boarded a Winnipeg-bound flight, while the rest followed shortly after. Gillespie confirmed all 19 workers were safe.
Sandy Lake Chief Delores Kakegamic described the conditions as terrifying. “We woke up to an orange sky and ashes falling like snow,” she said. An evacuation order was issued Saturday afternoon for the First Nation community. Around 1,700 residents were airlifted to locations such as Kapuskasing, Cochrane, Toronto, and possibly Niagara.
Some of the workers appeared visibly shaken when they arrived at Sandy Lake. “Really traumatized,” said the chief, noting the emotional weight the ordeal had placed on the group.
Wildfire Evacuation Ontario — A Test of Preparedness
In a statement, Sigfusson Northern confirmed that 14 of the 19 workers were their employees and praised their team’s professionalism and bravery. The company arranged planes to fly their workers home and is now offering counselling and support services.
“What we trained for worked perfectly,” said Gillespie. “It probably saved our lives.”
On Sunday morning, Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed via X that Canadian Armed Forces were mobilized to assist with emergency evacuations in the region.
Against impossible odds, the crew’s planning and calm under pressure turned a near-tragedy into a story of survival.
