Modernizing wildland fire management in Ontario

Proposal Updates

This notice was published to the Environmental Registry on July 15, 2024, for a 45-day consultation period. This notice was updated on November 25, 2024, to outline the proposed changes to the Forest Fires Prevention Act being introduced as part of Bill 228, Resource Management and Safety Act, 2024. This notice was updated on May 27, 2025, to advise the public that consideration of the proposed Bill 228, Resource Management and Safety Act, 2024 was terminated when the 43rd legislative session was dissolved, and Bill 27, Resource Management and Safety Act, 2025 has been introduced in the Ontario Legislature in substantially the same form as Bill 228. The content of this proposal notice remains unchanged, and no additional opportunity for comment is being provided at this time.

Proposal Details

November 25th, 2024

Ontario is building stronger and more resilient communities by addressing the growing risks of wildland fires with changes to the Forest Fires Prevention Act and modernizing the wildland program.

To help keep communities safe the Ministry of Natural Resources is working with municipalities, Indigenous communities, and industry, to reduce the risks and impacts of wildland fires.

These changes seek to expand prevention and mitigation activities and ensure stronger rules and consequences are in place for those that don’t follow wildland fire laws to reduce the risk of unwanted human-caused wildland fires.

Based on our review of input provided from the public, Indigenous communities and organizations, municipalities, industry, fire and emergency response personnel, and other stakeholders, the following proposals are being considered as potential amendments to the Forest Fires Prevention Act (FPPA):

• Clarify authority for the Minister to enter into agreements on all aspects of wildland fire management with, amongst others, municipalities, other governments or jurisdictions, Indigenous communities, and industry.
• Require municipalities and certain industries in the fire region to have a wildland fire management plan that meets prescribed standards as set out in regulation. This could be updating an existing plan or preparing a new plan.
• Clarify the Minister's order power to prohibit activities in areas that have been declared a wildland fire emergency area, and provide the Minister with the authority to issue a permit allowing certain activities in certain circumstances.
• Create a new power for the Minister to issue a remediation order as an alternative to laying formal charges under the Act.
• Enable the Minister to set out standard rates, terms and conditions when privately owned equipment and operators are used to respond to wildland fires and wildland fire emergency events.
• Enable administrative monetary penalties to address non-compliance with the Act and provide for an opportunity for review of the penalty.
• Revise cost recovery requirements to eliminate the automatic establishment of debt to the Crown, thereby enabling the Minister to exercise discretion in determining whether the costs of suppressing or extinguishing a human-caused fire and any associated damages will be recovered.
• Modernize and update enforcement provisions, including increasing the maximum fine and maximum imprisonment period for individuals, and creating specific roles, powers and responsibilities for different types of officers, and
• Administrative amendments, including changing the name of the Act to the Wildland Fire Management Act, adding a purpose section and updating definitions.

Introduction

The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) is responsible for protecting and managing the province’s diverse natural resources to support Ontario’s economic prosperity, environmental sustainability, and quality of life for the people of Ontario. To achieve its mandate the ministry oversees and implements key activities to protect people and communities from natural hazards like wildland fires.

Modernizing wildland fire management in Ontario

With large and challenging wildland fire events in recent years, and continued rapid changes to our environment and society, the government of Ontario is taking steps to modernize wildland fire management. Among other changes and challenges influencing wildland fire risk, Ontario is expected to face milder winters and a significant rise in the number of extreme heat days per year which leads to drier and more extreme fire conditions and may contribute to longer and more challenging fire seasons

We are starting by proposing a vision statement to guide continued modernization of wildland fire management in Ontario. Our proposed wildland fire management vision is: An Ontario that works together, through all sectors, to reduce the risks and minimize the unwanted impacts of wildland fires, creating safer and more resilient communities.

With this new wildland fire management vision, we are aiming to create a modernized approach to wildland fire management in Ontario that would:

1. Strengthen collective responsibility for wildland fire management
2. Improve awareness of wildland fire risk
3. Expand prevention and mitigation of wildland fire
4. Enhance preparedness and response to wildland fire
5. Strengthen rules and consequences for non-compliance with wildland fire (forest fire) laws

To achieve these five objectives, the Ontario government has initiated a wildland fire program and policy review and is considering changes to the Forest Fires Prevention Act to strengthen community preparedness and improve prevention and mitigation.

For more information on the proposal, please read the attached Modernizing Wildland Fire Management in Ontario: Discussion Paper.

Regulatory impact analysis

Through this posting, we are seeking input on anticipated benefits or costs for municipalities and industry that may be impacted by a potential change being considered. This input will help the Ministry to better understand the real costs or cost savings. Once the directions and approaches have been determined, there will be a second environmental registry posting and a regulatory impact analysis.