Trump threatens new Canada tariffs over wildfire smoke in US cities
Some residents in northern Ontario had to be evacuated due to ongoing fires. A First Nations chief reported his community was “burned to the ground.”
Fires are also burning on the country’s west coast, with more than 59 active fires reported in British Columbia on Friday. The British Columbia Fire Service said 39 of these fires started in the last 24 hours and more than half (31 fires) were out of control, prompting firefighters to use more aggressive methods to control the fires.
A large cluster of fires affecting northwestern Ontario is responsible for sending thick clouds of smoke and poor air quality across the region and the United States.
Thick smoke on Thursday blocked out the entire view of New York City, including the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty. Similarly, national monuments in Washington DC were also blocked by hazy conditions.
Authorities emphasized that people should stay indoors due to the adverse health effects of inhaling smoke; In some regions, even free masks are distributed.
This has led to the cancellation of outdoor events in parts of the northern United States, from Chicago and Detroit to parts of Pennsylvania and New England. Summer camps were moved indoors, concerts were rescheduled and at least one popular lakeside beach was closed.
Poor air quality has also affected air travel in some regions, where low visibility conditions at airports have caused flight delays.
Severe weather conditions have raised concerns about Sunday’s World Cup final between Argentina and Spain at the open-air MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which Trump will attend.
White House officials, including Andrew Giuliani, head of the White House’s World Cup working group, have been holding informal meetings with FIFA officials and others monitoring the wildfires, but no larger, formal meeting has been planned so far.
Forecasters believe rain in the region over the weekend will improve conditions before the two teams take to the field at 15:00 (2000 BST).
In addition to the hazardous smoke spreading across the United States, wildfires in northern Ontario forced the evacuation of dozens of people from local First Nations communities; Videos show some of them escaping from the remote area by boat.
Members of Namaygoosisagagun First Nation in the northern part of the province say they are “devastated” after fires ripped through the community with little warning.
Matthew Hoppe, incident commander for Namaygoosisagagun First Nation, told the BBC his community was devastated by the wildfires in northern Ontario.
Hoppe said community members had to “self-evacuate” with small boats on Monday afternoon as the fire quickly approached, adding that there were no deaths or direct injuries, but the community was “completely destroyed.”
Namaygoosisagagun First Nation Chief Helen Paavola said in an interview with local news outlet CityNews that an aerial flyover showed her community “turned to ashes.”
Ford said a total of 10 communities were forced to evacuate, with many now sheltering in cities in southern Ontario.
“It is a miracle that no one lost their lives,” the Prime Minister said.
With additional reporting by Katie Williams and Nardine Saad
