Ontario wildfire engulfs train, smokes over province

A dramatic wildfire in northern Ontario engulfed a freight train this week, trapping its crew in a burning landscape and forcing their emergency evacuation as smoke from hundreds of blazes blanketed the province, giving Toronto the worst air quality of any major city in the world.

The incident occurred near Armstrong, Ontario, north of Thunder Bay. Video from inside the locomotive, shared publicly on July 15, showed flames burning on both sides of the tracks and thick, orange smoke filling the air. A crew member filming the scene reported the train was stopped and said, "This could potentially overtake us here, this has gotten a little scary." He later added, "We're encased in flames now."

Canadian National Railway (CN) confirmed that all employees in the Armstrong area were evacuated safely overnight on July 13. The company stated that rail operations near Armstrong have been temporarily suspended as a precaution due to the wildfire activity. CN said it is working closely with the Ministry of Natural Resources and local authorities.

The union representing rail workers, the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, criticized the decision to operate the train. Union president Paul...