It’s back.
Wildfire smoke in New Jersey. It’s grayed our sky, with hints of orange, too.
In New Jersey, the smoke has been enough to reduce visibility. In fact, I (Joe Martucci) was driving back from the Ventnor Beach Concert at Ski Beach on Parkway North. Right as soon as you got into the Pinelands around exit 52, you noticed a layer of smoke along the tops of the trees. It looked like fog, but it was the Canadian wildfire smoke.
The culprit? Canada, and their wildfires.
I wrote that as it if we should “Blame Canada!” like the South Park show did once. While no one has directly blamed Canada maliciously to me, social media shows a few examples of people doing so (example, example).
The thing is… Canada can’t do much about it unless they spend much more money than they do now. Or, people move to where they haven’t moved before. Here’s why.
Lightning causes the vast majority of wildfires in Canada
As the climate warms, lightning has become more frequent. 93% of acres burned due to wildfires in Canada were caused from lightning, in 2023, according to research from the Northern Forestry Center.
In the United States, that number falls to 60%.
| Country | Lightning-caused | Human-caused |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | About 83% | About 17% |
| United States | About 60% | About 40% |
You can’t arrest lightning. You can’t charge it with arson. Lightning has been around long before humans and will be long after humans, too.
Canadian Wildfires Occur in Remote Regions
About 50% of all acreage burned from Canadian wildfires come from Canadian Provinces and Territories with a population density at or less than 2.5 people per square kilometer. That’s 6.5 people per square mile.
Northwest Territories – 21% of acres burned – 0.04 people per square kilmometer.
Saskatchewan – 18% of acres burned – 2.0 people per square kilometer.
Manitoba – 8% of acres burned – 2.5 people per square kilometer.
Yukon Territory – 4.5% of acres burned – 0.1 people per square kilometer.
Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as Nunavut also are very sparse, but contribute less than 1% to the total.
Population density data comes from Canada’s 2021 Census.
When a wildfire occurs, there are few, if any, roads to drive to the fire. There also have to be firefighters stationed nearby, ready to go. These wildfires aren’t just occurring in remote areas 100 miles outside of a major city like Toronto. They’re happening 100 miles (and more) outside of towns like Yellowknife or Whitehorse, which have a few tens of thousands of people.
Even if you had firefighters pre-stationed, they need food, they need water. Those towns do not have the resources on their own to supply them. The federal government needs to step in. Which, they do, but it’s still a logistical challenge.
Why Can’t Canada Fight Fires By Air?
They can and that does overcome the challenges poised by lack of roads. However, air is not as effective as ground.
Canada cannot simply fight every remote wildfire from the air because aircraft alone rarely extinguish large, intense fires. Water and fire retardant drops mainly slow the flames, giving ground crews time to build firebreaks and secure the perimeter.
In remote forests, there may be no roads, safe landing areas, nearby water sources or crews available to finish the job.
Heavy smoke, strong winds, thunderstorms and nighttime conditions can also ground aircraft.
With thousands of fires across an enormous landscape, Canada must prioritize communities, infrastructure and fires that can realistically be controlled.
Plus, similar to the lack of roads, there are a lack of airports in those remote areas, too. Refueling must be closely coordinated.
Canadian Wildfires are Generally Larger than America’s
The vast boreal forests can start large fires at the tops of trees. On the ground, the deep layer of organic soil or peat can bring fire smoldering underground for a long period of time.
The United States has that in parts, like Alaska, next to Canada. However, Western United States Wildfires often have steep terrain and complex winds. That brings faster moving fires that are aggressive locally. However, it’s the massive wildfires in Canada that bring the large smoke plumes, not the localized ones.
Also, smoke spreads the further from the source you are. Take, for example, the Jones Road Fire in April 2026 in Ocean County, NJ
Places like Long Branch and Cape May, which were east of the fire barely had smoke in the air. Meanwhile, they are both experiencing the smoky sky now with wildfires thousands of miles away.
In Conclusion
To be fair, wildfire smoke is hazardous to your health. Wildfire smoke contains PM2.5, tiny particles made of soot, ash, organic carbon and other burned material. These particles can travel deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream. Smoke may also contain hazardous gases, including carbon monoxide, benzene, formaldehyde and acrolein, according the Environmental Protection Agency.
At the same time, there’s not a whole lot Canada can realistically do to stop this. When fires erupt in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, firefighters can get there in minutes. Planes can drop fire retardants with ease, refueling at nearby airports. Where the wildfires usually burn in Canada, those options just aren’t possible.
