Smoke from numerous Canadian wildfires blanketed areas across the US from the Midwest to the Northeast on Thursday and Friday, leading to advisories for residents to remain indoors.
Trump, who has a contentious relationship with Prime Minister Mark Carney, indicated he would contact the Canadian leader to discuss the “totally unacceptable” situation.
“We hold Canada accountable for failing to properly manage their forests… the United States is being unnecessarily subjected to contaminated, unhealthy air,” he expressed in a post on Truth Social.
“This is Willful Negligence, and it is becoming a regular occurrence, costing the United States billions of dollars, which must be reflected in the tariffs Canada currently pays.”
Canada’s Emergency Management and Community Resilience Minister, Eleanor Olszewski, highlighted that since 2020, the government has invested C$12 billion ($8.56 billion) in forest sustainability and fire prevention amid increasingly drier and warmer conditions.
She also referenced a longstanding partnership between the US and Canada in addressing wildfires along their shared border.
“Currently, our main focus is on safeguarding Canadians and ensuring community safety,” Olszewski stated.
Experts on climate change have noted that rising temperatures have contributed to drier conditions and more frequent wildfires in Canada, home to some of the largest forest areas globally.
“As temperatures rise, we are witnessing… more extreme weather patterns, and consequently, an increase in fire incidents,” remarked Mike Flannigan, a wildland fire professor at Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia.
Upon assuming office in 2025, Trump enacted tariffs on various significant imports from Canada.
Carney’s office did not provide an immediate response to Trump’s comments. On Thursday, Carney stated that the United States could take further actions to combat climate change, which is leading to prolonged droughts and rising temperatures globally.
The two leaders are expected to meet at the FIFA World Cup final in New Jersey on Sunday.
This year, many of the wildfires are concentrated in Ontario, particularly in the remote and sparsely populated northwest, which is only accessible by air. So far, 650,000 acres (2,630 sq km) have burned, compared to 600,000 acres at the same time last year, resulting in the evacuation of thousands.
‘NOTHING REMAINING’
The Namaygoosisagagun First Nation, or Collins First Nation, located in northwestern Ontario, was engulfed in flames, forcing residents to evacuate by boat to Thunder Bay, Matthew Hoppe, the community’s incident commander, reported to Reuters.
“There was nothing left. As you can imagine, the members are completely distraught, upset, overwhelmed, and lost,” Hoppe stated.
Thunder Bay, a city of around 110,000 located on the northern shore of Lake Superior, over 1,300 km (800 miles) northwest of Toronto, is currently at capacity housing wildfire evacuees from across northwestern Ontario, Mayor Ken Boshcoff told Reuters.
On Friday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced the province’s decision to acquire 11 new aircraft to assist in battling the rapidly spreading wildfires and rebutted criticism from U.S. politicians who have described the efforts as insufficient.
The United States is also experiencing a year of above-average wildfires, with 3.7 million acres burned so far in 2026, compared to a decade-long average of 2.7 million acres, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
