Recent Canadian wildfires are record-breaking – and will threaten US air quality for days | US news
Canada Wildfires Trigger Air Quality Alerts Across North America
Updated May 31, 2025
Early-season wildfires are raging across the Canadian prairie provinces, prompting widespread evacuations and raising concerns about dangerous air quality throughout eastern North America. Manitoba and Saskatchewan have declared province-wide states of emergency as the blazes intensify.
The largest fires, including the Bird River fire and the Border fire in northern Manitoba, remain uncontained. Manitoba has already seen approximately 200,000 hectares burned this year, tripling the province’s recent full-year average.the wildfire smoke is expected to drift into the United States, possibly impacting air quality in major cities.
The Canadian military is airlifting more than 17,000 people from affected areas, some of which are now isolated due to road closures. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew described the situation as the province’s largest evacuation in recent memory. Saskatchewan Premier Scott moe echoed Kinew’s concerns, also declaring a state of emergency.
First Nations communities in Saskatchewan have been particularly hard-hit,with entire communities evacuated. Fires are also disrupting oil production and causing evacuations in Alberta.
Satellite images show extreme fire behaviour, including pyrocumulus clouds, indicating intense heat and the potential for long-distance smoke transport. The U.S. National Weather Service has issued air quality alerts for parts of Minnesota.
Smoke is expected to continue moving into the United States, potentially worsening air quality in cities like Chicago, Detroit, and Washington, D.C. Air quality could reach unhealthy levels for all groups, with air quality index values exceeding 150.
Kinew attributed the widespread fires to a changing climate, requiring adaptation. Prolonged warm and dry conditions have intensified the fires, continuing a trend exacerbated by climate change. The fire seasons of 2023 and 2024 were the worst in Canadian history.
The health effects of wildfire smoke are an increasing concern. Recent studies indicate that exposure can have lasting adverse effects on the heart and lungs, increase the risk of stroke, negatively impact brain function, and even interfere with fertility treatments.
Experts recommend wearing fitted N95 masks outdoors and using portable air filtration systems indoors to mitigate the risks of wildfire exposure.
“This is the largest evacuation Manitoba will have seen in most people’s living memory,” Kinew said at a press conference.”For the first time, it’s not a fire in one region, we have fires in every region. That is a sign of a changing climate that we are going to have to adapt to.”
What’s next
Government forecasters predict that fire seasons in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia will remain above average throughout the spring and summer, necessitating continued vigilance and preparedness.