As multiple wildfires ravaged communities across Northwestern Ontario on Wednesday, leaving an orange haze hanging over Toronto, leaders in Canada and the U.S. responded to the impact of the fires.
Prime Minister Carney
In a social media post Wednesday evening, Prime Minister Mark Carney said that the government was “in close contact with provincial, municipal, and Indigenous partners and stands ready to provide any additional support as needed.”
“Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their communities, not knowing if their homes will survive,” Carney said, thanking firefighters, first responders and local leaders for their work.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani
Smoke plumes drifted south across the U.S.-Canada border Wednesday, prompting health warnings in New York state and through the U.S. Northeast and Midwest.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani told residents in a social media post that “air quality has reached unhealthy levels in parts of NYC due to smoke from Canadian wildfires,” as the city overtook Toronto for the world’s worst air quality Wednesday night.
“Tomorrow’s combination of dangerous heat and unhealthy air is a serious threat to New Yorkers’ health,” Mamdani said, announcing that free face masks would be made available across the city.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Premier Doug Ford
Thousands of visitors were told to evacuate a remote Minnesota wilderness area accessible only by boat due to wildfires in the state. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz publicly thanked Premier Doug Ford and “Canadian allies” after two groups of American YMCA campers were rescued from the fires near the U.S.- Canada border. Ford replied, “That’s what neighbours are for.”
“Ontario is sparing no expense to protect the people and communities impacted by the northern forest fires,” Premier Doug Ford said in a social media video Wednesday evening.
Ford said the provincial government “has 156 fire crews and nearly 50 water bombers and helicopters hard at work across impacted areas with more resources being deployed where needed.” He also thanked emergency responders on the ground.