Canada’s 2026 wildfire season saw a slow start, but activity surged by the end of June to nearly match the 25-year average due to dry and warm conditions. By mid-July, about 850 fires were reported across the country, with the Canadian Interagency Forest Firefighting Center noting that over 180 active fires were in Ontario alone.
An image captured by NOAA-21 on July 14, 2026, highlighted smoke emanating from these wildfires in Ontario. Winds primarily directed this smoke southeastward, affecting vast regions, including parts of Quebec, the Midwest, and the Northeast, resulting in gray and yellow skies and an orange sun.
The smoke significantly impacted air quality, especially at lower altitudes. In areas with dense smoke, air quality deteriorated considerably. For instance, Toronto’s air quality reached an unhealthy level as per AirNow. Residents in southern Ontario faced a heatwave, amplifying health risks.
Most of the smoke originated from fires in northwestern Ontario, where eight significant fires ignited on July 13th and 14th, leading to evacuation orders for several communities in that region, as reported by CBC News.
As of July 14, a staggering 1.9 million hectares (4.7 million acres) had burned across Canada this year, significantly less than the catastrophic 2018 fire season. Current data can be accessed for 2023 and 2025. Experts are closely monitoring the season ahead, with a seasonal fire outlook compiled by wildland fire authorities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico offering insights into potential fire occurrences in July, August, and September.
Imagery sourced from NASA Earth Observatory features by Lauren Dauphin, utilizing NASA EOSDIS LANCE, GIBS/Worldview, and Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) VIIRS data. Story by Kathryn Hansen.
- AirNow (July 15, 2026) – wildfire monitoring information. Accessed July 15, 2026.
- CBC (July 15, 2026) – Heat and wildfire smoke combine to create dangerous conditions across southwestern Ontario. Accessed July 15, 2026.
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (July 14, 2026) – Resources on forest fires. Accessed July 15, 2026.
- National Interagency Fire Centre, Natural Resources Canada, National Weather Service (July 14, 2026) – North American seasonal fire assessment and outlook. Accessed July 15, 2026.
- New York Times (July 15, 2026) – Toronto under orange skies as wildfire smoke sweeps across northeastern United States. Accessed July 15, 2026.
- Reuters (July 15, 2026) – Canadian wildfire smoke suffocates Toronto, threatens US cities. Accessed July 15, 2026.
Source: science.nasa.gov