Four House Republicans from Michigan say their neighbors to the north aren't doing enough to keep their fires—and their smoke—at home. In a sharply worded letter to Canada's prime minister, the BBC reports that John James, John Moolenaar, Jack Bergman, and Lisa McClain accuse Ottawa of "continued inaction" on wildfires they say are fouling US air and warn that Washington may look at direct US involvement in cross-border fire prevention if things don't change. Their complaints come as more than 890 fires burn in Canada, most of them out of control, after nearly 7.4 million acres have already gone up in flames. A look:
- James: Per the Detroit Free Press, the GOP's frontrunner for governor called the smoke "as serious as a heart attack." "We might be in a great position to lead the way and cooperate with our Canadian neighbors, who quite frankly are proving they don't have the resources or the ability to handle their own affairs."
- McClain: On X, she posted that "Michiganders shouldn't have to breathe Canada's negligence. YEAR AFTER YEAR the smoke crosses the border while Canada does nothing. Stop exporting your smoke into our skies. Enough is enough!"
The smoke has driven air quality in Chicago to the worst in the world, according to IQAir, with Detroit, Washington, Toronto, and New York also high on the list, and outdoor events canceled across several states. Experts interviewed previously by the BBC said there's little more Canada can realistically do to curb the blazes. Canadian leader Mark Carney, asked about the letter, said both countries share responsibility for tackling climate change, while Ontario Premier Doug Ford defended his government's response and cited more than 150 fire crews on the ground. The fires have also forced evacuations in northern Ontario First Nations communities, with one chief saying her community was "burnt to ashes."
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