Canada fires bring thick smoke, terrible air quality to Toronto (PHOTOS)

Check out these images from Canada's largest city as the sky turned orange on Wednesday.

July 17, 2026

Updated: July 17, 2026, 4:33 pm EDTPublished: July 15, 2026, 1:56 pm EDT

Couple sitting on rocks by a hazy waterfront skyline under orange skies — A couple sits amid thick smoke from Northern Ontario forest fires that has the City of Toronto skyline shrouded in haze as viewed from Humber Park West on July 15, 2026. (Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

It's bad, and it's likely to get even worse.

Millions in Canada's largest city, Toronto, were subjected to awful air quality as wildfire smoke blew in Wednesday, turning the sky a hazy orange and reducing visibility to dangerously low levels. With the wildfires exploding, forecasts show that the smoke is likely to remain thick and dangerous in the area.

The smoke is also blowing into the Great Lakes and Northeast U.S., but the worst air quality and the most shocking visuals remained north of the border, so here are several images that show just how bad it has gotten.

A lone swimmer in calm water faces a hazy city skyline under an orange sky — A swimmer checks out the view of the smoke from Northern Ontario forest fires that has the City of Toronto skyline shrouded in haze as viewed from Humber Park West in Toronto, July 15, 2026. (Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

Pedestrians crossing a city street with the CN Tower and skyscrapers in the background — People walk in downtown Toronto as smoke from forest fires in Northern Ontario causes poor air quality over the city, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, July 15, 2026. (Photo by Cole BURSTON/AFP via Getty Images)

Smoky skyline across water with a man photographing from the shore — A person takes a photo as the view of the smoke from Northern Ontario forest fires that has the City of Toronto skyline shrouded in haze as viewed from Humber Park West in Toronto, July 15, 2026. (Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

Person sitting on a graffiti-covered bench overlooking a park and city skyline under an orange sky — Smoke from Northern Ontario forest fires has the City of Toronto skyline is shrouded in haze as seen from Riverdale Park in Toronto, July 15, 2026. (Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

City skyline under hazy yellow sky with a crane and a walking person in the foreground — A person walks by the skyline of downtown Toronto, as smoke from forest fires in Northern Ontario causes poor air quality over the city, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, July 15, 2026. (Photo by Cole BURSTON/AFP via Getty Images)

Suspension bridge with a person walking and an airplane approaching in an orange sky — A plane lands at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport as wildfire smoke fills Toronto on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (Laura Proctor/The Canadian Press via AP)

Orange sun in hazy sky beside silhouetted radio tower and building facade — The sun is hazy with smoke in Toronto as wildfire smoke fills the city on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (Laura Proctor/The Canadian Press via AP)

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