Out-of-control wildfires were raging Thursday in Ontario, prompting evacuations and sending dangerous smoke billowing into the United States where millions of people were exposed to the unhealthy air.
U.S. states near the border including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois were particularly choked, as forecasters predicted the Northeast including New York would also see air quality continue to deteriorate.
On Thursday morning, tracker IQAir listed Detroit, Toronto, Minneapolis and Chicago as the most polluted cities in the world.
In New York, libraries and train stations were offering free masks, while hundreds of cooling centres were open across the city for those without access to air conditioning.
“This could become the most significant smoke event in New York City since 2023, and conditions will be closely monitored for any deterioration,” the city’s Department of Emergency Management said.
Lingering smoke
In Canada, the latest data shows there are more than 130 active fires in northwestern Ontario, with at least 60 out of control.
Authorities there have formally requested additional assistance from the federal government, in particular seeking air support to evacuate remote communities.
“More than 150 fire crews and nearly 50 firefighting aircraft are working around the clock to protect communities from the fires in northern Ontario,” said Premier Doug Ford on X.
So far, Canadian wildfires have scorched 1.9 million hectares [4.7 million acres] this year, an area nearly the size of Slovenia.
That damage remains far off the pace of 2023, Canada’s worst wildfire season on record, when nearly 18 million hectares burned in the country.
