Canada Wildfires Rage: Over 200 Out of Control, Smoke Chokes North America

Canada is battling over 200 uncontrolled wildfires, primarily in the eastern province of Ontario, as thick smoke blankets parts of the northeastern United States and impacts millions. The situation has led to severe air quality alerts in major North American cities.

According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC), 209 fires remain out of control out of a total of 893 active blazes nationwide. The smoke plume has drastically reduced air quality in Toronto, Canada's most populous city, and significantly affected air quality in U.S. cities like Chicago, Detroit, Washington, and New York, which were among the most polluted globally on Friday.

Although the current wildfire season is less severe than the record-breaking year of 2023 or 2025, the intensity of the fires has notably increased over the past week. Nearly 2.8 million hectares have burned since the start of the year, a significant jump from nearly 1.6 million hectares reported just last Friday.

The province of Ontario has declared a critical situation and requested federal assistance. While no casualties have been reported in Ontario thus far, several remote communities have been evacuated. On Friday morning, authorities ordered the evacuation of an area in the Thunder Bay district as flames advanced.