Environment Canada issued special air-quality warnings for Southern Ontario – including Toronto – along with Quebec and much of Manitoba.Chris Young/The Canadian Press
Heavy smoke and thick fumes triggered air-quality alerts in vast swaths of the country Monday, as some areas in Western and Central Canada are experiencing one of the most destructive wildfire seasons in recent decades.
Environment and Climate Change Canada is warning people to be aware of smoke exposure, with western winds pushing plumes from Prairie wildfires toward Quebec and Ontario, causing reduced visibility in multiple regions. Residents have been advised to keep their windows and doors closed, limit their time outside, and to reschedule or cancel sports, events and outdoor activities.
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In Manitoba – which has borne the brunt of the damage from wildfires, and declared a rare second provincewide state of emergency this year – the smoke is also impacting firefighting efforts. More than 12,600 people continue to flee from their homes this week because of what the province has described as the worst fire season on record in more than 30 years.
“Resources have been assigned and have been making some progress,” Kristin Hayward, assistant deputy minister for the Manitoba Wildfire Service and Conservation Officer Service, said in a briefing at the provincial legislature Monday.
“Though, it has been a bit challenging just due to smoke conditions and some pretty intense fire activity.”
Across Canada, as of Monday afternoon, at least 558 wildfires are burning, with more than 150 of those deemed out of control.
Several provinces have faced a more severe and earlier start to the 2025 fire season, while researchers from Environment Canada have said that dryness, little precipitation and warmer-than-normal temperatures are expected to create ripe conditions for more fires later this summer.
A watercraft makes its way along the Ottawa River in Ottawa on Monday. Wildfire smoke is causing reduced visibility in multiple regions across Canada.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
On Monday, the federal agency placed Southern Ontario and Quebec under heat warnings, issuing special air-quality warnings for those regions and much of Manitoba.
The meteorologists said that visibility levels and air quality will tend to fluctuate hour to hour because of the smoke. Exposure from the fumes could cause irritation to the eyes, nose and throat, with headaches and cough – even leading to chest pains and wheezing in more serious cases.
More to come
What do you want to know about air quality?
Hundreds of wildfires have sent smoke across Canada and beyond this country’s borders this summer, and now smoke blanketing Toronto and the GTA is posing a “very high risk” to health. Are you constantly checking your weather apps, or just trying to figure out what the different alerts mean? Our health and science teams are trying to answer your pressing questions about air quality and how you can protect yourself, and we want to know what you want to know. Submit your questions using the form below or e-mail us at audience@globeandmail.com with “Wildfire smoke” in the subject line.