Hour 2 of Ottawa Now for Thurs. July 16th, 2026

As of last night, there were 136 active wildfires in Northwestern Ontario. These massive blazes have caused evacuations, highway closures, Air Quality warnings, event cancellations, and numerous issues for the people who live nearby. How are these fires starting? How can we better manage a situation that is becoming an annual problem? Kristy Cameron digs deeper with Dr. Ze’ev Gedalof in Hour 2. Hr is the Director of the Climate and Ecosystem Dynamics Research Laboratory at the University of Guelph. He also teaches at the school’s Department of Geography, Environment, and Geomatics. Plus, it’s a Thursday afternoon, which means it’s time to tackle an assortment of local issues with our Reality Check Panel! And yes, the Canada Day flood recovery is on the agenda.