Overview

• Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the EPA have issued special air quality statements and alerts for southern Ontario and multiple U.S. states due to dense smoke from Manitoba and Saskatchewan wildfires.
• On July 31, Toronto, Minneapolis and Chicago simultaneously ranked among the worst global cities for air pollution, registering AQI readings above 150 from fine particulate matter.
• Respiratory Health Association experts caution that PM2.5 in wildfire smoke can trigger asthma attacks, strokes and heart problems, and recommend N95 respirators and portable air filtration.
• Forecast models predict temporary afternoon drops in smoke concentrations as winds shift, but officials say unhealthy conditions will persist through Friday and into Saturday.
• Record heat and drought this summer have fueled hundreds of fires on the Prairies, highlighting the growing transboundary challenge of wildfire-driven air pollution.