Premier Doug Ford says U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to introduce new tariffs on Canada over northern Ontario wildfire smoke that’s drifted south of the border is a “bunch of rubbish.”
“Rather than sit there and complain, why don’t we see some help from President Trump. Send up some water bombers, send up some wildland firefighters, but then again, they have thousands of fires going in the U.S. right now, but you don’t hear Canada ever complain,” Ford said at a news conference Monday.
Trump and other U.S. lawmakers criticized the Canadian government over the nearly 200 wildfires that continue to burn in the northwestern part of the province, which have reduced the air quality on both sides of the border.
“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!” the president wrote on Truth Social.
Last week, Toronto had the worst air quality in the world among major cities due to the fires and an air quality warning remained in place for several days.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has pushed back against the criticism, previously saying that the management of wildfires brought on by climate change is a responsibility shared by countries across the globe, including the U.S.
Ford echoed that sentiment while providing an update on the firefight on Monday, saying that the fires are an “act of mother nature.”
“It happens around the world…No matter if it’s France or Ireland or other places around the world, in Australia…We just believe in supporting our neighbours. And it’s unfortunate that the president doesn’t believe in supporting our neighbours,” Ford said.
The premier went on to remind Trump and other American lawmakers critical of the effort to contain the wildfires of Ontario’s willingness to assist California during its wildfire season last year. He also noted how the province sent dozens of Hydro One workers to Georgia to restore power following Hurricane Helene in 2024.
In a subsequent interview on CNN Monday, Ford was asked by host Wolf Blitzer if he would reconsider sending help to the U.S. in the future in the wake of Trump’s threats.
“Not for a second. I will send whatever it takes when we have the resources down to our friends, and they are our friends, our closest friends and allies, we will do anything,” he said.
“No matter if it’s hurricanes or wildfires or tornadoes, anytime you need help, we will send the Ontario Corps down. We’ll send our firefighters. We’ll send our utility linemen down, which we have in the past, but not one single offer has come the other way.”
‘No real basis in fact’ of Trump’s firefighting criticism: forestry expert
Mike Wotton is a professor at the University of Toronto’s Institute of Forestry and Conservation and said there’s “no real basis in fact” to the argument that Canada is mismanaging its forests and wildfires.
“These (fires) are driven by weather and they’re driven by the fact that we’re getting warmer weather and this has been the case for a number of years now,” he said in an interview on Newstalk 1010 Monday morning.
Wotton explained that, while some forest management across the country involves harvesting the fuel that sustains wildfires, that’s not the case nationwide.
“If it is not going to threaten, say, infrastructure or communities or our human values, we try to let fire play its natural role. And and this is another key point…fire is a natural part of this massive forest that we have in Canada. If that forest grows in a way that helps it burn under really extreme conditions, essentially, it wants to burn under the conditions where you get a big, most unmanageable fire," he said.
Ford lashed out at critics at home last week who accused his government of underspending on the firefight this year.
The Ontario NDP, the Ontario Liberals, and the Green Party of Ontario all attacked the Progressive Conservative government for budgeting only $150 million for its firefighting efforts this year, when it spent $271 million in 2025. This year’s budget, however, marks a $15-million increase over the $135 million budgeted in both of the last two years.
Ford explained at the time that firefighting in Ontario is based on need, so while the base budget this year is set at $150 million, he revealed that every year it spends “significantly more than that.”
“In a time of a crisis, all levels of government need to come together, no matter if you’re opposition or not. But to go out there and try to scare people and put out blatant lies about the amount is spent is absolutely disgusting on their behalf.”
