Key facts
- President Trump threatened to add the cost of Canadian wildfire smoke pollution to existing tariffs on Canadian goods.
- Trump blamed Canada's forest management for the smoke, calling it 'willful negligence'.
- Canada's government stated it has invested C$12 billion in forest sustainability and fire prevention since 2020.
- Climate experts attribute increased wildfires to rising temperatures and drier conditions.
- The Canadian military prepared to evacuate a remote community in northwestern Ontario due to wildfires.
- Air quality alerts and health warnings were issued across numerous U.S. states due to the smoke.
President Donald Trump has threatened to impose new tariffs on Canada, linking them to the cost of wildfire smoke that has drifted across large parts of the United States. Trump stated on Truth Social that the 'cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying,' and that the U.S. had been 'invaded' by dirty air.
Trump blamed Canada for the wildfire smoke, calling the situation 'totally unacceptable' and accusing the country of 'willful negligence' in maintaining its forests. He indicated he would contact Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to discuss the matter.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford called U.S. criticism of Canada's forest fire management 'absolutely unacceptable' and suggested President Trump should drop tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber. As of Saturday, 655,000 hectares of forest were burning across Ontario, with the Canadian Armed Forces assisting in evacuations.
Canada's minister of emergency management and community resilience, Eleanor Olszewski, stated that the government has invested C$12 billion in forest sustainability and fire prevention since 2020, citing increasingly drier and warmer weather conditions. She also highlighted the long-standing partnership between the U.S. and Canada in fighting wildfires.
Climate experts attribute the increase in wildfires to rising global temperatures, leading to drier timber. The fires have impacted vast areas of Canada, with thousands evacuated, and have caused hazardous air quality across numerous U.S. states, affecting millions of people. The Canadian military was preparing to evacuate a remote community of 600 people in northwestern Ontario threatened by intense fires. As of Saturday morning, 69 new fires had been reported overnight, bringing the total to 955, with nearly 11,000 square miles burned so far.