Film crews in Hollywood and local Ontario productions are being urged to wear masks as fast-moving wildfires sweep through the far north and southwest of the province, blanketing southern Ontario — and at times the U.S. East Coast — in thick smoke.
However, the regional film sector has so far largely escaped what appears to be Ontario’s worst summer wildfire season on record.
Production centers in northern Ontario cities such as Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay are feeling the effects acutely, with film crews sharing hotels with evacuees from neighboring communities. The massive fire that covered about 3,200 square kilometers (1,235 square miles) north of Thunder Bay in Wabakimi Provincial Park was of particular concern to firefighters. As of Wednesday, about 146 wildfires remained active across the province.
A spokesperson for Thunder Bay, which is located a two-hour flight from Toronto, said: “Although Thunder Bay has been affected by the wildfires in a number of ways, active fires remain about 150 to 250 kilometers from the city and at this time we are not in danger of evacuating.” Hollywood Reporter In a statement.
Unlike the 2025 wildfires in and around Los Angeles that directly affected Hollywood film and television production, the Ontario wildfires and ongoing destruction were mostly contained to the sparsely populated northern and southwestern regions of the province. That has left fire crews to put out or try to put out devastating wildfires that have devastated some communities in the province and led to the evacuation of others.
However, the far-reaching spread of wildfire smoke has prompted the province to urge film crews to limit outdoor filming when air quality is poor. Additionally, Transport Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources have asked film and television production companies not to use drones during filmmaking because they may interfere with firefighting aircraft, including water bombers and helicopters.
Sudbury, which is just an hour’s flight from Toronto, city officials say THR The bushfires have not affected filming in the area, and local filming is not subject to any specific bushfire restrictions when cameras are rolling in the city.
At the same time, the city adds in a statement sent to: THR: “Safety decisions of this type are typically left to the discretion of the production team. We recommend following applicable public health guidelines regarding air quality.”
Local sound recording and location filming in Ontario by major studios and streaming companies has in recent years become a major business for the province. So there were no significant cancellations or interruptions evident from the current spate of wildfires in the province, alleviating concerns about the long-term recovery of Ontario’s production sector after major disruptions caused by the pandemic and the 2023 Hollywood strikes.
