While wildfires in Canada continued to multiply and wind sent heavy smoke across several states in the U.S. over the weekend, President Trump’s EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin appeared on Newsmax and announced that the U.S. has officially communicated how “extremely important” it is for Canada to put out the fires.
Zeldin said he had “a detailed call” with Canada’s Ambassador to the U.S., Mark Wiseman, and “stressed to him, on behalf of millions of concerned Americans, just how extremely important and urgent it is to put out all the fires harming U.S. air quality. Going forward, it will be so vital to maximize proactive forest management, early fire detection, and resource staging and instant mobilization. These cross-border air events simply cannot keep happening every year.”
Yesterday, I had a detailed call with Canada’s Ambassador to the U.S., @MarkDWiseman. I stressed to him, on behalf of millions of concerned Americans, just how extremely important and urgent it is to put out all the fires harming U.S. air quality.
Going forward, it will be so… pic.twitter.com/nqlFgue4k5
— Lee Zeldin (@epaleezeldin) July 19, 2026
[NOTE: On Friday, President Trump criticized Canada and announced on social media: “We are holding Canada responsible for the fact that they are not properly maintaining their Forests, and Brush therein, and the United States is being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air, the quality of which is dangerous, and totally unacceptable.” He added: “This is Willful Negligence, and becoming a yearly occurrence, costing the United States Billions of Dollars, which cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying.”]
Zeldin told Newsmax, “There’s just not as much rope as you’ve seen in past years.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Trump’s criticism of the wildfires was “absolutely unacceptable,” and said if the U.S. was facing such wildfires, Canada would help its neighbor.
Former Canadian diplomat and forest industry executive Steve Kaufmann also responded to the Trump administration’s comments: “No sympathy for those who lost their homes. No support for firefighters on the ground. Only boots on the ground can put out forest fires. An area >1million sq. mi. Ill informed bluster from a fool. Par for Trump regime.”
On Wednesday, U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra commended the “outstanding cooperation between the United States and Canada as we confront these fires together,” and said in a statement that “the United States will continue to coordinate closely with Canada, just as we have for more than four decades of shared wildfire emergencies.”
I commend the outstanding cooperation between the United States and Canada as we confront these fires together. Our two governments are monitoring and sharing information in real time – coordination that reflects our partnership at its best.https://t.co/Dhi65gvqKu
— Ambassador Pete Hoekstra (@USAmbCanada) July 16, 2026
On Friday, however, Hoekstra amplified Trump’s criticism and tariff threat, as seen below.
“We are holding Canada responsible… the United States is being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air, the quality of which is dangerous, and totally unacceptable!” – President Donald J. Trump
pic.twitter.com/LVsFinBcg1
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 17, 2026
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney reported this weekend: “More than 5,300 firefighting personnel have been deployed across the country. Nearly 300 aircraft are in the field — from waterbombers and helicopters to evacuation aircraft. We are leveraging data, drones, new technology, and advanced thermal imaging to support real-time detection and mitigation efforts.”
A fleet of 10 new fixed-wing firefighting aircraft and helicopters, including waterbombers, airtankers, bird dogs, and heavy-lift helicopters, is helping support wildfire suppression efforts across the country. pic.twitter.com/9o2DdsyczV
— Embassy of Canada US (@CanEmbUSA) July 18, 2026