US President Donald Trump has threatened to raise tariffs on Canada, saying the increase would cover the cost of pollution from wildfire smoke that has blanketed large parts of the United States.
Thick smoke drifting down from Canada and northern Minnesota has triggered unhealthy air quality alerts across several American states. As of Saturday, 937 active fires were burning in Canada, most of them out of control, according to the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump described the situation as “willful negligence” that had become a yearly occurrence, costing the US billions of dollars. He said the cost of the pollution should be added to the tariffs Canada is already paying, accusing the country of failing to maintain its forests properly or carry out basic forest management and debris removal. He added that he would call Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to find out what steps were being taken to address the smoke.
Responding, Canada’s emergency management minister, Eleanor Olszewski, said Canada and the US remained in constant contact on the issue, pointing to a long history of joint firefighting efforts. She noted that Canada has invested $12 billion in forest sustainability and fire prevention since 2020.
Detroit remained the most polluted city in the world on Friday, according to tracker IQAir, with Washington and Chicago close behind. Officials in affected areas warned residents against spending unnecessary time outdoors.
The pollution has also raised concerns ahead of the World Cup final scheduled for Sunday at an open stadium in New Jersey. Air quality in the New York-New Jersey metro area had improved slightly by Friday, though still unhealthy for sensitive groups, after smog on Thursday reduced visibility of the Manhattan skyline. The National Weather Service warned the smoke could thicken again overnight into Saturday.
White House World Cup task force executive director Andrew Giuliani said organizers were monitoring the situation closely. NWS meteorologist Peter Mullinax said winds over the Great Lakes could push more smoke into the Northeast, though he expected some improvement in the region. Maryland air quality forecaster Joel Dreessen said the key question for Sunday was whether more smoke would spill south following weekend storm systems.
Across the Midwest and Northeast, residents have taken to wearing masks outdoors, with libraries and train stations in New York distributing them for free. Chris Carlsten, who studies the health effects of wildfire smoke at the University of British Columbia, said fine particles from wildfire smoke are especially damaging to the lungs, unlike vehicle pollution, which tends to affect the heart more. He noted that smoke plumes can carry debris from wood and vegetation as well as paint, plastic, and metal, and that as they travel, a process called “photochemical aging” appears to make the aerosol more toxic.
Areas of the upper Midwest closer to the fires, including parts of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, have recorded air quality readings in the hazardous range for several days.
Climate advocates have linked the recurring wildfire smoke episodes to climate change. Mark Parrington of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service said climate change is creating conditions for longer fire seasons, driven by higher surface temperatures and lower soil moisture, which allow fires to burn for weeks at a time once ignited.
The fires were worsening in Canada on Friday, particularly in Ontario, though authorities said no casualties had been reported. Several remote communities have been evacuated as dozens of aircraft continue battling the blazes. Sixteen active fires were also burning in Minnesota’s Superior National Forest, along the Canadian border. The US Forest Service warned that erratic weather, shifting winds, and the possibility of damaging wind gusts and thunderstorms would complicate firefighting efforts going forward.
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