Impact on US cities
In the New York City area, more than 80,000 people are expected to attend the World Cup final at an open-air stadium in New Jersey on Sunday. Another 50,000 plan to watch the game from Central Park in Manhattan, where skies appeared hazy.
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul said on social media that smoke and haze from Canadian wildfires were creating unhealthy air conditions across the state and encouraged people, especially those with health conditions, to exercise caution.
The Government of Canada has said that wildfire season began more slowly in 2026 than in 2023 or 2025 — the two worst seasons for wildfires — but warned that fires were likely due to warmer than usual temperatures across the country.
Some 835 active fires were burning in the country on Wednesday, and 112 according were considered out of control, according to the government. So far, 4.7 million acres have burned. Most of the fires were in the central provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Ontario.
Greg Evans, professor at University of Toronto, Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry, noted Toronto had been simultaneously hit with severe heat and wildfire smoke.
“I expect that this will occur more frequently over the coming decades so cities and residents need to prepare for this in the future,” he said.
Paula Oreskovich, a Toronto resident, said she noticed the haze and smell of smoke when she stepped outside in the morning.
She said the poor air quality was concerning, particularly as wildfire smoke has become a recurring feature of recent summers.
“I think you have to be silly if you’re not going to be concerned about climate change. It’s definitely here, it’s definitely happening, and it’s happening globally,” Oreskovich said.
