Construction Workers Survive Intense Wildfire After Taking Shelter in a Shipping Container Near Sandy Lake

A 19-member construction crew working near Sandy Lake in northwestern Ontario faced a life-threatening situation when an out-of-control wildfire rapidly approached their job site. Trapped and unable to flee by air due to heavy smoke, the workers took refuge inside a steel shipping container as flames raged around them, Lauren Scott, CBC.

The crew, mostly from Manitoba, was working on a project for Sandy Lake First Nation through a partnership between Sigfusson Northern and Milestone Environmental Contracting Inc.

According to Neal Gillespie, a superintendent with Milestone, the fire had initially been about 40 kilometres away when their workday began Saturday morning. By mid-morning, the fire had moved dangerously close, prompting the team to begin packing up. A call from Sandy Lake First Nation requesting firebreak assistance shifted their focus, and they began moving equipment toward a nearby camp located 14 kilometres west.

However, within 45 minutes of relocating, the wildfire surrounded the area, forcing the team to abandon their equipment and rely on emergency plans they had been rehearsing for weeks. They gathered in a bare camp area and used a cargo container to shield themselves from the intense heat and smoke.

“The flames literally danced around us,” Gillespie said. Some nearby containers began catching fire, and the crew feared for their lives.

Helicopters made several rescue attempts, but thick smoke obscured visibility and prevented any successful air evacuation. After four to five tense hours, the crew managed to escape by driving in convoy to Sandy Lake First Nation along one of the area’s main roads.

Gillespie confirmed that all members of the crew were eventually flown out of Sandy Lake safely, with the first group heading to Winnipeg and the remainder following soon after. “Our team is safe and sound,” he said.

The Red Lake 12 wildfire had grown to over 150,000 hectares by Saturday night and remained out of control. Sandy Lake First Nation Chief Delores Kakegamic described the sky as orange with ash raining down, and confirmed that about 1,700 residents were being evacuated by air to locations including Kapuskasing, Cochrane, Toronto, and possibly Niagara.

Chief Kakegamic noted that some of the construction workers appeared deeply shaken upon arrival at the First Nation.

On Sunday morning, Prime Minister Mark Carney posted on X that Canadian Armed Forces aircraft and personnel had been deployed to support the “emergency airlift evacuations around Sandy Lake First Nation.

Sigfusson Northern, which employed 14 of the crew members, confirmed in a statement that it arranged the evacuation flights and is now offering counseling services to support affected staff. The company praised the professionalism and bravery of the team during the emergency.

Gillespie credited their preparedness and prior training for getting everyone out safely. “What we planned and practiced worked exactly as it should have — and it probably saved our lives,” he said.