Canada Issues Air Quality Warnings Over Smoke From U.S. Wildfires

Officials in the Canadian province of British Columbia issued an air quality alert on Saturday evening warning that smoke from U.S. wildfires was creating smoky conditions as polluted air drifted north across the border. The alert came days after President Trump posted on Truth Social on July 18 that Canada was not properly maintaining its forests and brush, allowing smoke to drift south into the United States.

He stated the United States was being "unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air" and that the economic cost would be factored into tariffs on Canadian imports. The Canadian federal Natural Resources Department reported 955 wildfires burning across the country, with 69 new fires on the most recent day counted.

In Ontario, nearly 200 wildfires have scorched 1.7 million hectares, prompting the evacuation of 10 communities and 40 rescue operations that pulled 300 people from campsites.

The National Interagency Fire Centre recorded 73 large blazes across 12 U.S. states from Minnesota to Oregon and Washington. British Columbia saw active fires rise from 20 mid-week to about 100 after thousands of lightning strikes.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said that if President Trump wanted Canada to clear its forests, the United States should drop its tariffs on softwood lumber. The World Cup final is scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which President Trump is expected to attend.

Thunderstorms are forecast to clear smoke from the northeastern United States before the match.