Doctor warns millions of Americans face unhealthy air from wildfires
Dr. Fernando Safdie, a cardiothoracic surgeon, offers critical health advice as millions face unhealthy air from Canadian wildfires. He emphasizes staying indoors and using N95 masks, especially for vulnerable populations like the elderly, young children, and pregnant women. Safdie notes symptoms like coughing and chest tightness indicate potential issues, urging prompt medical attention if persistent.
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President Donald Trump on Friday blamed Canada for smoke from ongoing wildfires that has drifted into the United States, accusing the country of “willful negligence” in forest management and suggesting the economic costs of the pollution should be added to tariffs on Canadian imports.
“We are holding Canada responsible for the fact that they are not properly maintaining their Forests, and Brush therein, and the United States is being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air, the quality of which is dangerous, and totally unacceptable!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
Trump said he planned to call Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney later Friday to discuss the issue.
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President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the East Room of the White House on July 16, 2026, in Washington, D.C. Trump on Friday blamed Canada for wildfire smoke drifting into the United States and suggested the economic costs should be added to tariffs on Canadian imports. (Saul Loeb/Pool – Getty Images)
“I will call the Prime Minister during the day to find out what they are going to do about it,” Trump wrote.
The president argued Canada had refused to engage in “basic Forest Management and Debris Removal,” despite knowing such practices could help reduce the risk of devastating wildfires.
“Canada has refused to engage in basic Forest Management and Debris Removal, knowing that such refusal will lead to exactly this result,” Trump wrote. “This is Willful Negligence, and becoming a yearly occurrence, costing the United States Billions of Dollars, which cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying.”
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People walk in downtown Toronto, as smoke from forest fires in Northern Ontario causes poor air quality over the city, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, July 15, 2026. (Photo by Cole BURSTON / AFP) (Getty Images)
Trump did not say how such costs would be incorporated into existing tariffs or whether he intended to pursue formal trade action tied to the wildfire smoke.
The comments come as smoke from nearly 850 active wildfires across Canada — including more than 180 in Ontario — has drifted into the United States, prompting air quality alerts in more than 20 states from the Upper Midwest to the Northeast, according to NASA.
Smoke from wildfires in Canada shrouds the Manhattan skyline in Brooklyn, New York, on Thursday, July 16, 2026. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Health officials have warned that wildfire smoke can pose health risks, particularly for people with underlying heart or lung conditions, and have advised residents in affected areas to monitor local air quality and limit outdoor activity when conditions worsen.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Canadian Prime Minister’s Office and Natural Resources Canada for comment.
