Canadian wildfire smoke blankets US, sparks political friction

Smoke from ongoing wildfires in Canada is blanketing vast areas of North America, leading to dangerously poor air quality and straining relations between Canada and the United States. Cities from Minnesota to Ohio in the U.S. Midwest, as well as Toronto in Canada, have been significantly affected by the haze.

At one point, Chicago recorded the worst air quality of any major global city, according to Swiss data provider IQAir. New York City has also been enveloped in thick, yellow-gray smog, obscuring landmarks like the Manhattan skyline and the World Trade Center. While some long-time residents recall the 2023 wildfire season being worse, the current situation has led to the cancellation of numerous outdoor events in the northern U.S., including summer camps and concerts. Concerns were even raised about the air quality potentially impacting the final of the Football World Cup, though subsequent rainfall offered some improvement.

The environmental crisis has spilled into political discourse. Former U.S. President Donald Trump has accused Canada of not doing enough to combat the fires and has threatened to impose tariffs. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, however, stressed the shared responsibility of both nations in addressing climate change, noting that most fires are not human-caused and result from Canada's vast, heavily forested landscape.