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Here's what to knowThe air quality was so poor on Wednesday morning that Toronto earned the dubious distinction of having the most polluted air of any city on Earth You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.A CN freight train engulfed in flames in Northern Ontario. Photo by Sol Mamakwa /XWildfires in Northern Ontario grew so wide and fierce that they turned skies across the province a smoky shade of orange, while a CN Rail train could be seen travelling through a burning, hellish landscape.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an Accountor“This could potentially overtake us here, this has gotten a little scary,” says an engineer in a video taken inside the train while it was stopped on the tracks, which was shared by Ontario MPP Sol Mamakwa. “We’re encased in flames now.”CN later responded with a statement on the incident, saying it was “aware of a video showing a CN train travelling through an area affected by wildfire near Armstrong.”“We can confirm that the crew members shown in the video are safe and were evacuated from the area,” it added. “Rail operations near Armstrong have been temporarily suspended due to wildfire activity.”The union representing rail workers said the train shouldn’t have been forced to travel in those conditions.“We are relieved that nobody was hurt,” said Paul Boucher, president of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, in a statement. “But make no mistake, this incident should never have happened. CN should never have sent a train down those lines. The company knows exactly how bad the situation is in that region. That fire has been raging for five weeks.”Further south, Canadians in Toronto, Montreal and beyond awoke Wednesday morning to a sky that looked more like a day on Mars than Earth, accompanied at times by an acrid smell of burnt wood. Here’s what to know about the smoke and whether it’s safe to go outside.It all has to do with wildfires that are burning to the north, with the prevailing winds driving the smoke south.“What’s with this apocalyptic colour in the air?” says Greg Evans, a professor of chemical engineering and applied chemistry at the University of Toronto. “That’s because the particles (of smoke) in the air are scattering out the blue light, so we see reddish light.”He adds: “That’s very similar to what we would see at dusk when the sun is setting. But now it’s occurring throughout the day.”📍Ontario , Canada 🇨🇦The sky turned orange in parts of northwestern Ontario due to thick smoke from wildfires, as winds continue to carry smoke plumes across vast areas of Canada and the northeastern United States, leading to deteriorating air quality and reduced visibility.… pic.twitter.com/8LMPM979Vc— sustainme.in®️ (@sustainme_in) July 15, 2026The worst. Wednesday morning at 7 a.m., the global monitoring organization IQAir listed Toronto as having the worst air quality of any city on the planet. Its Air Quality Index (AQI) of 184 is defined as unhealthy for everyone, and especially anyone with existing health problems.Second on the list was Kinshasa, Congo, at 167, followed by Delhi, Dubai and Jerusalem. The next Canadian city on the list was Montreal in 30th place with an AQI of 72.Canada uses the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) to measure the health risks of pollution. The Ontario government listed a forecast of “10+” on the 10-point scale for Toronto on Wednesday, which it says amounts to “very high risk.”An apocalyptic scene unfolded on Highway 11 in Northwestern Ontario, Canada, this evening as the sky turned deep red and nearly black. pic.twitter.com/KK2RVqLMtP— Weather Monitor (@WeatherMonitors) July 15, 2026The Ontario website listed a forecast of 9 AQHI for Toronto on Thursday. Evans says there may be relief Friday due to shifting winds and rain that could wash some of the smoke out of the air.“And then there’s the actual fires themselves in northwestern Ontario,” he says. “Difficult to say whether or not those are going to remain the same, expand, or hopefully get abated by the firefighters up there. But as long as the wildfires are burning, the smoke is going somewhere.”That includes down into the United States, where already cities like Boston and New York have noticed the strange colour in the sky this week. Last summer, six members of Congress went so far as to send a letter of complaint to Canada’s embassy.There are 838 active wildfires across the country, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, and almost 2 million forest hectares have burned this year to date.WOW: This is insane. You're looking at our current live camera overlooking Rochester, New York. This image is untouched, not edited or oversaturated in any way. The wildfire smoke situation right now is very reminiscent of 2023 when it got so bad. pic.twitter.com/6yQEMrKJ6F— Eric Snitil (@EricSnitilWx) July 15, 2026Smell smoke this morning? Its coming from a wildfire outbreak in Ontario. While it should not impact air quality much today, smoke at the surface could increase Wednesday into Thursday, potentially reducing visibilities and air quality. High temperatures may also be limited. pic.twitter.com/6QdV5965nt— NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) July 14, 2026“It’s about limiting your exposure to it,” says Madeleine Orr, a professor of kinesiology and physical education at U of T. “It’s all about prevention.”She adds: “Most people are probably fine to sit on the porch and go for a short walk. What we’re looking at here is two things: exposure time and the amount of pollutant content you get into your lungs.”Masks can help with the second variable, she says: “And an N95 will meaningfully reduce the exposure. But that’s not to say that you can do that and then go work your intense landscaping job all day. It’s not a ‘fix everything.’ It might extend your exposure a little bit.”Evans adds that if you have central air conditioning you should run the fan continuously, even without the cooling function, since it will allow whatever filters the system has to treat the smoky air as it comes into your house.“This is the first time to my recollection that we’ve had a one-two punch of both extreme heat and wildfires impact Toronto,” Evans says, adding that for anyone without air conditioning, it presents a difficult choice: Do I keep the windows closed against the smoke, or open them for “fresh air” that isn’t really fresh?It's 9am and stepping outside feels like walking on Mars. The sky is orange, the air is kinda smoky and I can smell it. Stay safe, Ontario. pic.twitter.com/01oHH7IYUv— Yemi Ifegbuyi (@yemiyyz) July 15, 2026Give it a break, says Orr. “And the reason for that is that when you are exercising, you are bypassing your nasal filtration system … and breathing through your mouth, and that means that you’re getting all of the polluted air … straight down to your lungs, and then it has an easier shot of getting into your bloodstream. That’s where we’re going to see some issues as well, so no hard physical activity today would be my advice.”That advice is even more important for the very young, the elderly, anyone with health issues and pregnant women.“I just had a baby a month ago,” Orr says. “I hate to pick on pregnant women, telling what they should and shouldn’t do, but in fire-impacted parts of Canada right now, when women are delivering their babies at the end of fire season, the placentas look like the lungs of an 80-year-old smoker. So, if you’re pregnant, do consider that you would be in the high-risk group.” People walk in downtown Toronto as smoke from forest fires in Northern Ontario causes poor air quality over the city on July 15, 2026. Photo by Cole BURSTON /AFP via Getty ImagesOur website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here. Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.