Canada prepares to evacuate Fort Hope as wildfire smoke chokes US
The Canadian Armed Forces are evacuating residents of Fort Hope amid a critical wildfire crisis in Ontario that has triggered health warnings across the US and political tension between leaders.
Canada prepares to evacuate Fort Hope as wildfire smoke chokes US
The Canadian province of Ontario is facing a critical wildfire crisis as dozens of out-of-control blazes threaten northern communities and push hazardous smoke across the border into the United States. In northwestern Ontario, federal Emergencies Minister Eleanor Olszewski announced Friday that the Canadian Armed Forces will deploy aircraft to evacuate residents of Fort Hope, a sparsely populated region that relies heavily on air travel due to a lack of roads.
Prime Minister Mark Carney stated the federal government has helicopters, Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft, and other emergency resources ready to support the response. The situation in the northwest is particularly severe, with a province-wide wildfire dashboard reporting 173 active fires, including 129 in the northwest and 44 in the northeast. More than 70 of these fires remain out of control.
The disaster has already displaced hundreds. Mandatory evacuation orders are in effect for several communities, including Armstrong, Whitesand First Nation, Gakijiwanong Anishinaabe Nation (Lac La Croix First Nation), Lac des Mille Lacs First Nation, and Namaygoosisagagun (Collins) First Nation. Leaders of the Namaygoosisagagun First Nation have called for urgent federal rebuilding support after members were forced to escape their community by boat as fire engulfed the area.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford reported that 655,000 hectares (1.6 million acres) of forest are burning across the province. He stated that he has told ministers there is no limit
on spending to protect people. On X, Ford noted that nearly 50 firefighting aircraft and more than 150 fire crews are working around the clock.
Diplomatic Tension Over Air Quality
The environmental crisis has sparked a sharp diplomatic row. President Donald Trump blamed incompetent Canadian forest management
for the smoke and announced Friday he would add the incalculable cost
of the pollution to existing tariffs on Canadian goods.
Premier Ford called the U.S. Criticism absolutely unacceptable
on Saturday. Ford argued that if the U.S. Were facing similar wildfires, Canada would support its neighbors. He further suggested that if President Trump wanted Canada to clear its forests, he should drop U.S. Tariffs on softwood lumber, claiming that removing those tariffs would resolve a lot of the issues we face right now
.
Regional Health Impacts
Winds have carried thick smoke into the U.S. And southern Ontario, where residents have shared photos of orange skies described as looking like Mars
.
As of 8 a.m. ET on Saturday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's AirNow site rated air quality as unhealthy
across several regions, including:
- All of Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, D.C.
- Most of Pennsylvania and New Jersey
- Much of Virginia
- Eastern areas of Ohio and West Virginia
- Southern Ontario
Parts of western Pennsylvania, including Pittsburgh, were rated very unhealthy
. In the Midwest, the EPA tracker showed Detroit hovering around 700, while IQAir listed Detroit, Toronto, Minneapolis, and Chicago as the most polluted cities in the world on Thursday morning.
In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the combination of dangerous heat and unhealthy air as a serious threat
. The city's Department of Emergency Management warned that this could be the most significant smoke event since 2023, when the air quality index reached 465. In response, libraries and train stations provided free masks and hundreds of cooling centers were opened.
Fire Statistics and Outlook
The federal Natural Resources Department reported 69 new fires overnight Saturday, bringing the national total to 955. Nationally, Canadian wildfires have scorched 1.9 million hectares (4.7 million acres) this year. While this is below the five-year average and significantly less than the record 18 million hectares burned in 2023, the smoke continues to cause widespread disruption.
Current threats remain high for critical infrastructure and areas including Wabakimi Provincial Park and Quetico Provincial Park. However, some relief may be arriving. Mike Harris, Ontario's natural resources minister, stated that wildfire activity has started to slow over the last 24 hours and much more favorable weather
is expected over the coming days.
The smoke is expected to have only a minimal impact on Sunday's soccer World Cup final at New York New Jersey Stadium, according to AccuWeather.
