Mamdani Urges Residents To Stay Safe As Canadian Wildfire Smoke Engulfs New York

Last Updated:July 16, 2026, 14:39 IST

Canadian wildfire smoke worsened air quality across New York, prompting Mayor Zohran Mamdani to urge residents to take precautions as authorities issued health advisories.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani (Photo Credit: Instagram)

Smoke drifting from Canadian wildfires continued to worsen air quality across parts of New York and Toronto on Wednesday, prompting health advisories and warnings from authorities as hazy skies spread across the region.

While New York City residents were urged to limit outdoor activity, Toronto recorded the worst air quality among major cities worldwide as smoke from the fires continued to blanket large parts of both countries.

Mamdani Urges Residents To Limit Outdoor Exposure

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged residents to take precautions, saying- “Air quality has reached unhealthy levels in parts of NYC due to smoke from Canadian wildfires moving through the city. Poor air quality affects everyone, but some people are more sensitive to it than others, including people with heart or lung conditions, older adults, pregnant New Yorkers, and infants and children.”

His appeal came after the National Weather Service issued an air quality alert for New York City, which remained in effect until midnight on Wednesday. Authorities have advised residents to limit strenuous outdoor activities to reduce the risk of health complications.

According to forecasts, visible smoke was expected to move into western New York before spreading across the rest of the state during the day. The western region was forecast to experience the worst conditions, while hazy skies and periods of poor air quality were expected across much of the state.

Toronto Records World’s Worst Air Quality

The impact of the wildfire smoke was also felt in Canada, where Toronto recorded the worst air quality among major cities worldwide on Wednesday, according to Swiss air quality monitoring firm IQAir.

The city ranked ahead of New Delhi and Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, after smoke from wildfires turned Toronto’s skies a hazy yellowish-grey.

Toronto’s Air Quality Health Index reached 10+, a level classified as “very high risk”, prompting authorities to advise residents to remain indoors and avoid unnecessary outdoor activities. The worsening smoke also led to the cancellation of the city’s FIFA Fan Festival.

“The biggest contributor to Toronto’s spike in air pollution right now is wildfires, though the higher than average temperatures are also playing a role,” Armen Araradian of IQAir told AFP.

More Than 800 Wildfires Continue To Burn

Although Canada’s 2026 wildfire season has been less severe than recent years, more than 800 wildfires remain active across the country. Reuters reported that 835 wildfires were active as of Wednesday, including 112 classified as out of control, while nearly 1.9 million hectares had burned so far this season. Smoke from fires burning in northwestern Ontario drifted south, significantly affecting air quality in Toronto and reaching parts of the northeastern United States, including New York.

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