Toronto recorded the worst air quality among major cities worldwide on Wednesday as thick wildfire smoke from northwestern Ontario covered the city in haze and spread across parts of the northeastern United States, triggering health alerts and prompting authorities to advise people to limit outdoor activities.
Although the wildfires are burning in remote and sparsely populated regions hundreds of miles from Toronto, the smoke has drifted over a vast area. Environment Canada recorded an Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) reading of 10+, placing Toronto in the “very high risk” category. Forecasts indicated the hazardous air could remain until at least Thursday night.
Smoke spreads beyond Toronto as New York issues health advisory
The smoke also reached New York City, days before neighboring New Jersey is due to host the FIFA World Cup final on Sunday. Officials issued an air quality alert after pollution levels reached unhealthy levels, urging residents to reduce strenuous outdoor activity and take frequent breaks if they must remain outside on Wednesday and Thursday.
The National Weather Service said the smoke could linger through the end of the week. Dan Westervelt, Lamont associate research professor at Columbia University, warned that the situation may get worse. “We probably haven’t seen the worst of it yet for New York City. We probably haven’t seen the worst of it yet for the Great Lakes and upstate and New England yet either,” he said.
Toronto ranks worst globally as wildfires disrupt travel and events
Swiss air quality technology company IQAir ranked Toronto as having the worst air quality in the world, ahead of Kinshasa and Delhi. New York was ranked fifth.
The wildfires also disrupted lives beyond the cities. Two small groups of children from Minnesota, who were camping in the Canadian wilderness on a YMCA-organised trip, became trapped due to the fires, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported. One group was evacuated by helicopter with help from the Canadian military. “Both groups have been rescued and are on their way back home to safety,” Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said on X.
Rail services halted and World Cup fan events cancelled
Wildfire smoke from northern Canada has become a regular summer occurrence across large parts of the United States in recent years. A viral video showed a Canadian National train surrounded by flames near Armstrong, Ontario. Canadian National said employees and Armstrong residents were evacuated on Monday night, while rail operations near the town, more than 500 kilometres north of Toronto, were suspended as a precaution.
Poor air quality also forced the City of Toronto to cancel the FIFA Fan Festival and the England-Argentina World Cup watch party at Nathan Phillips Square. Meanwhile, more than 80,000 people are still expected to attend the World Cup final at an open-air stadium in New Jersey on Sunday, while another 50,000 are expected to gather in New York City’s Central Park despite hazy skies.
Experts warn wildfire smoke could become more common
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said smoke and haze from Canadian wildfires were creating unhealthy air conditions across the state and urged residents, especially those with existing health conditions, to take precautions.
The Canadian government said the 2026 wildfire season began more slowly than the devastating 2023 and 2025 seasons but warned that warmer-than-usual temperatures mean wildfire activity is still likely. As of Wednesday, 835 active fires were burning across Canada, with 112 listed as out of control. Around 1.9 million hectares (4.7 million acres) have already burned, with most fires concentrated in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario.
Experts say that such events might occur again
Greg Evans, professor of chemical engineering and applied chemistry at the University of Toronto, said the city was dealing with both intense heat and wildfire smoke at the same time. “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.
Toronto resident Paula Oreskovich said she noticed the haze and smell of smoke as soon as she stepped outside on Wednesday morning. She added that worsening air quality had become an increasingly familiar part of summer. “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.
(with inputs from Reuters)
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Khalid Lateef is a Sub-Editor at NewsX Digital, specializing in Indian politics and global affairs. He also covers viral trending stories and major crime developments.
