Soot from Canadian wildfires blanketed a dozen U.S. states Friday, prompting warnings for millions to stay indoors. President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans blamed Canada for poor forest management, with Trump posting on Truth Social that Canada's failure to remove excess timber constitutes "Willful Negligence" and threatening to add pollution costs to tariffs. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin echoed criticism, urging Canada to change its wildfire strategy.

Prime Minister Mark Carney's government and Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski stressed the long-standing U.S.-Canada firefighting partnership, noting $12 billion invested in forest sustainability since 2020. U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra praised real-time coordination. However, GOP lawmakers including Sen. Bernie Moreno pledged sanctions legislation, while Michigan Republicans threatened to delay the Gordie Howe Bridge opening.

Nearly 900 fires burn across Canada and over 150 in the U.S., including 15 in Michigan. Air quality reached "very unhealthy" purple levels in cities like Chicago, New York, and Washington. Climate scientist Daniel Swain attributed the blazes to a record-breaking heat wave that dried forests, worsened by climate change — conditions reminiscent of 2023's record wildfire season.