Wildfires continue to spread across Ontario, leading to evacuations and a significant drift of smoke into New York City and other areas of the U.S. northeast.
Residents in parts of Canada, including Toronto, experienced a sunrise through a haze-filled sky on Wednesday, with the air carrying a strong scent of wood smoke. Environment Canada, a federal agency, issued a warning about outdoor activities due to poor air quality. Though unusually severe for Canada, other cities around the world, such as Delhi and Dhaka, regularly experience worse air quality for prolonged periods.
Evacuations have affected at least six rural and First Nations communities around Thunder Bay, Ontario. The Namaygoosisagagun First Nation, a small community of around 40 people, evacuated by boat.
An entire First Nations community has been erased due to the disaster, stated Sol Mamakwa, an Indigenous member of the provincial parliament, voicing support for those from the Collins First Nation area.
Three trains carrying flammable materials faced threats from the wildfire and were redirected to safer locations, reported the Ontario Provincial Police. Municipalities have imposed restrictions on open flames, including campfires, following an extremely hot Tuesday.
Rainfall in the west and cooler temperatures in the east previously delayed the start of the wildfire season in Canada, which usually spans from April to October.
An image from a European satellite captured smoke arising from a wildfire-affected area in Collins, Ontario.
According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center, 838 wildfires are active nationwide. This year, 4.7 million acres have burned, significantly less than the 22.2 million acres in 2025, Canada’s second-worst year for wildfires. The situation in 2023 holds the record for the worst year.
As the heatwave envelops Ontario and the northeastern United States, the smoke may persist or even intensify. This heat dome phenomenon has pushed temperatures to nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the region, keeping smoke from distant fires closer to ground level.
Vjosa Isai, a Toronto-based reporter for The Times, covers news from across Canada.