377 evacuees from northwestern Ontario wildfires seeking refuge in Cornwall, Ont.

The Dev Centre in Cornwall, Ont. June 11, 2025. (Dylan Dyson/CTV News Ottawa)

Three hundred and seventy-seven residents of the Sandy Lake First Nation have been evacuated to Cornwall due to escalating wildfires in northwestern Ontario.

“Our last update was about 155,000 hectares was on fire, very close to the community of Sandy Lake,” said Leighton Woods, Cornwall’s deputy fire chief and emergency management coordinator.

• RELATED: Evacuee recalls ‘surreal’ escape as northern Ontario wildfire threatens First Nation

The evacuees are being housed at the Dev Centre in Cornwall, more than 1,600 kilometres from their homes. The site has become a default centre for victims of natural disasters, asylum seekers, and others in need across Ontario and eastern Canada.

“I think it’s because we have the facilities here,” says Cornwall Mayor Justin Towndale.

“We have the Dev Centre, formerly the Nav Centre, and it’s a one stop shop for that sort of thing. You have accommodation, you have the ability to feed a large number of people, you have space for offices and other organizations like the Red Cross to set up.”

Woods says morale remains good among evacuees despite having to leave their homes at a moment’s notice.

“They’re in good spirits, I believe. Definitely an adjustment, but they’re coping,” Woods tells CTV News Ottawa.

“This information was given to them on a Saturday, evacuated on Saturday and Sunday, and we received our first group of evacuees early Monday morning. That’s how quick this happened.”

It is not clear to any of the parties involved how long the residents of Sandy Lake will be staying in Cornwall, given the wildfires that continue to burn in the northwestern parts of the province, but officials anticipate it could be at least a couple of weeks.

“The next little bit is just making sure that we understand what the community needs and what their asks are, to make this their new home here in the city of Cornwall,” says Woods.