16 July,2026 07:29 PM IST | Ottawa | mid-day online correspondent
View of buildings from the CN Tower as smoke from wildfires in northern Ontario blankets the city, causing poor air quality, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on July 15. PIC/AFP
Wildfires raging across northwestern Ontario have triggered dense smog and significantly worsened air quality across several parts of Canada, including national capital Ottawa, and the country's largest city, Toronto, news agency IANS reported. The wildfires have also disrupted rail operations, forced evacuations, and renewed concerns about the growing impact of climate change on Canada's wildfire seasons.
On Wednesday (local time), Toronto ranked among the cities with the poorest air quality in the world. Environment Canada classified the city's Air Quality Health Index as "very high risk", warning residents to limit outdoor activities. Ottawa also issued air quality advisories as wildfire smoke mixed with humid weather conditions, trapping harmful pollutants close to the ground and turning the sky a hazy yellow.
Health authorities have advised children, senior citizens, pregnant women and people with respiratory or heart conditions to remain indoors as prolonged exposure to smoke can aggravate existing health issues.
A dramatic video shared widely on social media showed a Canadian National (CN) freight train travelling through towering flames near Armstrong in northwestern Ontario. The footage, recorded by a locomotive crew member late on Monday, captured wildfires burning on both sides of the railway tracks, with flames lighting up the locomotive cab in an intense red glow.
CN confirmed the authenticity of the video on Wednesday and said the train crew was safely evacuated. The railway operator has temporarily suspended train services along the affected stretch as a precaution.
More than 100 active wildfires remain burning across northwestern Ontario, prompting emergency evacuations from several communities. Firefighters continue to battle challenging conditions, while weather officials warned that prevailing wind patterns are expected to keep smoke lingering over large parts of the province for several more days.
Canada has witnessed a steady rise in extreme weather events in recent years. Scientists say the country is warming at more than twice the global average, while the Canadian Arctic is heating up at nearly three times the global rate. The increasing frequency of devastating wildfires, prolonged droughts and destructive floods is seen as a clear indication of the accelerating impacts of climate change, with experts warning that such events are likely to become more frequent and severe in the years ahead.
(With inputs from IANS)
