‘CN should never have sent a train down those lines’
The union representing a CN Rail crew that escaped a train fire near Armstrong, Ont., is demanding the company explain why it dispatched the train into an active wildfire zone in the first place.
The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) said in a July 15, 2026, statement that a video circulating widely on social media shows a CN freight train surrounded by flames, and confirmed the crew involved were TCRC members. The union said no one was injured, crediting the crew's quick response, but said the incident should never have occurred.
"We commend the courage and professionalism of our members, who kept their composure in a terrifying situation. We are relieved that nobody was hurt," said Paul Boucher, president of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference.
"But make no mistake, this incident should never have happened. CN should never have sent a train down those lines. The company knows exactly how bad the situation is in that region. That fire has been raging for five weeks."
Union links incident to federal supply-chain priorities
The TCRC statement tied the incident to broader federal policy, arguing that measures intended to speed up freight movement have shifted employer priorities away from worker safety.
"Recent federal government initiatives have emboldened employers to place greater emphasis on operational efficiency and supply chain fluidity, sometimes at the expense of critical safety considerations," said Don Ashley, National Legislative Director of the TCRC.
Teamsters Canada president François Laporte said the incident should prompt CN to account for its decision-making.
"Our members should never have to drive through a wall of flames to move freight," Laporte said. "Railway workers keep this country's economy moving, but no shipment is worth a human life. CN owes its workers, and the communities along those lines, answers."
The TCRC is calling on CN to halt operations through active wildfire zones.
The incident and CN Rail's response
According to CBC News reporting, the crew was halted at a meeting point near Armstrong on July 13 to allow another train to pass when nearby wildfires closed in, with footage from inside the cab showing flames visible through the windows.
CN Rail told CBC News it has temporarily suspended operations in the area as a precaution and relocated employees. The company said employees and residents of Armstrong, a community of roughly 250 people about 250 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, were evacuated the night of July 13 as a safety measure.
CN said it remains in contact with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and local authorities, adding that employee, community, and emergency responder safety remains its top priority, according to its statement to CBC.
Broader wildfire disruption and worker safety concerns
CBC News reported that Kiiwetinoong NDP MPP Sol Mamakwa raised concerns the crew member who posted the video fears reprimand from CN, since filming on the job violates company policy.
Mamakwa said he hopes the affected workers receive support through the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) and stated his support for the crew involved.
The Ontario Provincial Police advised the public to avoid an area near Collins First Nation, where three trains carrying combustible materials were stopped amid nearby wildfire activity, according to the CBC report. Police said there was no immediate public safety threat. Nearly 150 wildfires are burning across northwestern Ontario.
