Good morning. This is the Friday, July 17 edition of First Up, the Star’s daily morning digest. Sign up to get it earlier each day, in your inbox.
Here in Toronto, we’re still dealing with the smoke. In other parts of Ontario, they’re dealing with the fire. Reading Xavier Mesquita’s report on how a pair of Texans on a northwestern Ontario canoe trip found themselves engulfed in a “rumbling” wall of fire, and how they got out of it, is a harrowing way to start your day. “After the sun had set, a blood-orange afterglow hung on the horizon. ‘It was so close, you could hear it again,’” one said. “You really start thinking about your loved ones at that point.” Lots more on the wildfires and smoke below, including tips on how to protect yourself.
