Escalating wildfires across Canada have forced thousands of people to evacuate and sent thick smoke into the United States, worsening air quality and raising concerns ahead of Sunday’s World Cup final in New Jersey.

Canada’s military has deployed aircraft to assist remote communities surrounded by fires as severe drought continues to fuel the crisis.

Climate experts say rising temperatures have dried vegetation and contributed to more frequent and intense wildfires across Canada, which contains some of the world’s largest forested areas.

Canada’s Ministry of Natural Resources reported 69 new fires overnight, bringing the total number of active fires to 955.

Around 28,500 square kilometres have burned so far. Although this remains below the five-year average, winds have carried smoke south across the border, prompting air-quality alerts and health warnings in several parts of the United States.

The Canadian military is preparing to evacuate Fort Hope, a remote community in northwestern Ontario threatened by expanding wildfires.

Federal Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski said military aircraft would be used because the sparsely populated region has limited road access and relies heavily on air transportation.

Thousands of residents have already been evacuated from affected communities to cities farther south in Ontario. More than 200 fires remain out of control, particularly across the province.

Smoke moving south from Canada and northern Minnesota has led to renewed health warnings across large areas of the American Midwest and Northeast, including New York and New Jersey.

Air conditions in both states were classified as unhealthy, while smoke covered Manhattan’s skyline and reduced visibility days before the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina.

The match is scheduled to take place Sunday at an open-air stadium in New Jersey.

Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House World Cup Task Force, said tournament organizers were closely monitoring the situation amid warnings that smoke could become denser overnight and into Saturday morning.

However, U.S. weather experts expect conditions to improve by Sunday. Forecasts indicate that pollution levels during the match are unlikely to reach those recorded in recent days, although some haze may remain.

Meteorologist Peter Mullinax said northwesterly winds could push additional smoke toward the northeastern United States but did not expect it to become severe enough to threaten the match.

Expected rainfall over the weekend could also help reduce smoke levels and improve air quality.

Detroit temporarily ranked among the world’s most polluted cities because of the smoke, while Washington and Chicago approached similarly dangerous levels. Authorities urged residents to avoid unnecessary outdoor activity.

The crisis has also intensified political tensions between Washington and Ottawa.

U.S. President Donald Trump accused Canada of failing to manage its forests properly and threatened to add the financial cost of the pollution to existing tariffs on Canadian goods.

Trump said he would contact Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to ask what his government intended to do about what he described as an “absolutely unacceptable” situation.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump accused Canada of allowing “dirty, polluted and unhealthy air” to enter the United States and claimed the recurring smoke costs the country billions of dollars.

He said the cost should be added to the tariffs currently imposed on Canadian products.