"Thousands of visitors were told to evacuate a remote Minnesota wilderness area accessible only by boat as wildfires send dangerously heavy smoke over the U.S. Midwest and Northeast this week.
More than 100 wildfires are burning in Canada, where a train crew in northern Ontario filmed themselves surrounded by flames before being safely evacuated. Winds are carrying the smoke southeast.
Warnings about unhealthy air conditions Wednesday extended from Minnesota through Toronto and into New York. Unusually hot summer temperatures were expected, too.
The best advice is to stay indoors to avoid both the smoke and the extreme heat, said Tyler Hasenstein, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Chanhassen, Minnesota."
Dorany Pineda and Jacqueline Ganun report for the Associated Press July 15, 2026.
SEE ALSO:
"How To Protect Yourself From The Bad Air Caused By Wildfires" (AP)
"The Serious Health Risks Posed By Wildfire Smoke" (Reuters)
"Canada Wildfire Smoke Blankets Us Midwest, Northeast With Hazardous Air" (Reuters)
