Trump Links Canadian Wildfire Smoke to Tariff Review

President Trump posted on Truth Social on July 18 that Canada is not properly maintaining its forests and brush, allowing smoke to drift south. He stated the United States is 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. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said that if Trump wanted Canada to clear its forests, the United States should drop its tariffs on softwood lumber.

m. Sunday that Trump is expected to attend, a drenching thunderstorm had already forced the Spanish team to cancel its last outdoor training session. Tyler Roys, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather, said a storm front the day before the match will largely move the smoke out of the Northeast.

Jeff Berardelli, WFLA-TV chief meteorologist, said the front would "sweep the atmosphere clean," leaving only thin smoke. Brian Hurley, senior branch forecaster at the U.S., said temperatures are forecast near 27 degrees Celsius with light breezes and low humidity.

British Columbia saw active fires rise from 20 mid-week to about 100 after thousands of lightning strikes, while additional fires burned in Nova Scotia.

The New York Times reported that American smoke has previously choked Canada. The Sydney Morning Herald noted that U.S. forests are also burning. The Associated Press reported that wildfire smoke from Canada and Minnesota is pushing farther into the U.S. and engulfing Washington, D.C. in haze.