Experts Warn America's Blame Game Over Canadian Wildfires Misses Key Issues

Mon Sep 29 2025 01:41:29 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

As U.S. lawmakers criticize Canada for wildfire smoke, experts emphasize addressing climate change and environmental policies collaboratively.

In light of the ongoing impact of Canadian wildfires, particularly in Manitoba, U.S. lawmakers have expressed frustration over smoke drifting southward. However, experts argue that the focus should instead be on addressing climate change and the systemic issues related to wildfire management rather than placing blame. The 2023 wildfire season is already on track to be the worst on record, prompting calls for better collaborative approaches to fight climate change and manage wildfires more effectively.

As deadly wildfires raged in the Canadian province of Manitoba this summer, Republican lawmakers in nearby US states penned letters asking that Canada be held accountable for the smoke drifting south.

Our skies are being choked by wildfire smoke we didn't start and can't control, wrote Calvin Callahan, a Republican state representative from Wisconsin, in a letter dated early August.

Callahan, along with lawmakers from Iowa, Minnesota and North Dakota, filed a formal complaint with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urging an investigation into Canada's wildfire management.

Manitoba premier Wab Kinew quickly condemned the move, accusing the lawmakers of throwing a timber tantrum and playing political games.

By August, the wildfires had scorched more than two million acres in Manitoba, forced thousands to evacuate, and killed two people – a married couple who authorities said were trapped by fast-moving flames around their family home.

As September draws to a close, data shows that 2025 is on track to be Canada's second-worst wildfire season on record, with a study published in September revealing the smoke has caused more than 87,500 acute and premature deaths worldwide.

Experts emphasize that the increasing intensity and frequency of wildfires are linked to climate change, suggesting that until global efforts address human-caused climate change, these problems will persist. They argue that collaboration rather than blame will yield better results for dealing with future wildfires and smoke pollution.