As wildfires continue to ravage northern Ontario, communities are under evacuation orders and a thick blanket of hazardous smoke covers much of the province. The impact is spreading beyond the north, affecting air quality in southern regions and prompting health concerns and event cancellations.
Environment Canada has raised alarms over the very high-risk air quality in Toronto, with air quality warnings in place from Thunder Bay to Kingston, London, and Windsor. The smoke is expected to linger in some areas until Friday and has even drifted into parts of the northern United States.
Ontario has reached out to the federal government for swift assistance, requesting aircraft and crews on standby to aid in evacuations of wildfire-affected communities. With 15 communities in the north already undergoing evacuations or considering them, the situation is deemed critical and may worsen rapidly.
The threat is exacerbated by northwest winds that could fuel the flames of numerous forest fires, including one that recently swept through Namaygoosisagagun First Nation, also known as Collins First Nation, causing destruction to homes and buildings north of Thunder Bay.