There are more than 900 wildfires in Canada, 120 of which are currently burning out of control. Smoke from the fires has been suffocating American cities and towns from Minnesota to New York for days.
How to stay safe in wildfire smoke
Wildfire smoke can travel far, so check your air quality, protect your home, and be prepared to leave immediately if fire danger increases.
President Donald Trump is threatening to impose tariffs on Canada over record levels of dangerous air flowing into the United States from hundreds of wildfires in the north.
“The United States is being needlessly invaded by filthy, polluted, unhealthy air, and the quality of it is dangerous and completely unacceptable!” Trump wrote in a July 17 post on Truth Social.
The president said he would call Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and ask him what he plans to do about the smoke problem caused by a lack of proper forest management in Canada.
“This is willful negligence, which occurs every year, and costs the United States billions of dollars. The cost of this pollution must necessarily be added to the tariffs Canada currently pays,” Trump wrote.
The Canadian government says there are more than 900 wildfires in Canada, 120 of which are burning out of control, and more than a dozen near the border with Washington state, Minnesota, Michigan and Maine. Ontario has been particularly hard hit, with widespread evacuations and many homes threatened.
Smoke from the fires has choked American cities and towns from Minnesota to New York for days, causing sometimes record-breaking air quality.
Carney’s press office did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment on the tariff threat and accusations that the country’s forests were being mismanaged. But Carney told reporters on July 16 that “climate change is everyone’s responsibility, including America.”
Mr. Carney made the comments when asked about a letter four Michigan Republicans wrote to Mr. Carney about the smoke issue.
“Our hospitals are once again treating children, dialysis patients, and the elderly for the effects of smoke that did not originate near them,” the July 15 letter said. “This is the third year in a row that we have had to write to Canadian authorities about a crisis that Canada has the means to prevent but chose not to.”
“Nothing has changed except that our patience has reached its limit,” the letter said. “We are done accepting apologies in lieu of action. If Canada doesn’t manage its forests to prevent wildfires, the United States will look elsewhere and act on its own to protect its people.”
Lawmakers said this could include “considering direct involvement in cross-border fuel reduction and firefighting capabilities” and “reconsidering the benefit of the doubts this relationship continues to bring about on an issue where American lungs are paying the price for Canada’s inaction year after year.”
Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, has indicated he plans to introduce a bill to the House of Representatives on Monday that would declare a state of emergency, impose sanctions on the Canadian government and cancel visas over smoke.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford told reporters on July 17, before President Trump’s tariff threat, that Ontario has repeatedly assisted with U.S. wildfires.
“I truly believe that Americans are good neighbors,” he said. “If you see a politician out there complaining, maybe instead of complaining, send support, send help, because we’ve done the exact same thing to our American friends, and that’s what you should do.”
On Friday, the Canadian government announced on its wildfire page that “heavy smoke” is expected to continue for the next few days.
“At the time of writing, diplomatic engagement is being coordinated to discuss the wildfire situation and the impact of wildfire smoke on each state of the United States,” the government said.
Amanda Lee Myers is a senior crime reporter covering the death penalty, cold cases and breaking news for USA TODAY. Follow her on X at @amandaleeusat.
