US President Donald Trump has blamed Canada for wildfire smoke spreading across parts of the United States, claiming the pollution has created an “incalculable cost” that should be added to existing tariffs on Canadian goods.
Heavy smoke from hundreds of wildfires in Canada covered large areas of the US Midwest and Northeast on Thursday and Friday, leading authorities to issue health warnings and advise residents to limit outdoor activities.
Trump said he planned to contact Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to seek an explanation over what he described as an “unacceptable” situation.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump accused Canada of failing to properly manage its forests and claimed the US was being affected by polluted air as a result.
He argued that the cost of dealing with the pollution should be included in tariffs currently imposed on Canadian imports, describing the situation as a repeated problem causing billions of dollars in losses.
Canada’s Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience Eleanor Olszewski rejected the suggestion that the country was not taking action, saying the government had invested C$12 billion (US$8.56 billion) in forest sustainability and wildfire prevention since 2020.
She added that Canada and the US have a long history of cooperation in responding to wildfires along their shared border.
Climate experts said rising temperatures and changing weather patterns have contributed to drier forests and more frequent wildfires in Canada in recent years.
Mike Flannigan, a professor of wildland fire at Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia, said warmer conditions were contributing to more extreme weather events and increasing wildfire risks.
The latest dispute comes amid an already tense relationship between Trump and Carney, following Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on several Canadian imports after returning to office in 2025.
Carney’s office has not responded to Trump’s latest remarks, although the Canadian leader previously said more action was needed globally to address climate change, including prolonged droughts and rising temperatures.
The wildfire crisis has severely affected parts of Canada, particularly Ontario, where hundreds of thousands of acres of land have been destroyed and thousands of residents forced to evacuate.
In northwestern Ontario, the Namaygoosisagagun First Nation was devastated by fires, forcing residents to leave their homes by boat and seek shelter in Thunder Bay.
Community incident commander Matthew Hoppe said the destruction had left residents devastated, overwhelmed and uncertain about their future.
Thunder Bay Mayor Ken Boshcoff said the city had reached full capacity after taking in evacuees from wildfire-affected areas across northwestern Ontario.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced plans to purchase 11 new aircraft to strengthen firefighting efforts, while defending the province’s response to criticism from US politicians.
Meanwhile, the US is also experiencing a severe wildfire season, with millions of acres already burned in 2026, exceeding the average area affected over the past decade.
