[citation needed] British Columbia saw an unusual lack of rain in May and early June, leading to increased wildfire conditions in the province.

[60] In a study of British Columbia's 2017 fire season, researchers found that human-caused climate change had a strong influence on the amount of area burned.

[62] In the west of Vancouver Island, highway access to the towns of Port Alberni, Tofino, and Ucluelet was cut off for more than two weeks due to the Cameron Bluffs wildfire.

[64][65][66] There were 377 active wildfires in British Columbia as of July 15, including 20 that were classified as "highly visible, threatening or potentially damaging 'wildfires of note'".

[68] Between July and October 21, much of BC had seen less than a quarter of usual rainfall, with Vancouver at 10% and Victoria recording only 2 millimetres of rain instead of its normal average of 132 mm.

[citation needed] New Brunswick had experienced 177 wildfires as of June 7, with four still active, including fires in West Branch, Alnwick Parish, and Valley Road in Kars.

[79] The wildfires caused telecommunication and internet signals to be cut off throughout the South Slave Region, which led to concerns about the feasibility of a safe evacuation.

[77] On the afternoon of June 25, Montreal had the worst air quality in the world due to wildfire smoke in the region; several cultural and sporting events were cancelled or postponed in response.

[67] In August, premier David Eby declared a state of emergency as the city of West Kelowna was evacuated when the McDougall Creek wildfire grew to cover 6,800 hectares.

[140] Air Canada and WestJet were initially criticized for high prices and unwaived cancellation fees for flights to and from Yellowknife; they had since changed policies to alleviate financial burden for evacuees as of August 17.

[90] By May 18, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) was supporting around 1,000 evacuees from effected regions of the province, who were temporarily housed in Lloydminster, North Battleford, and Regina.

[165] In May, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency issued several alerts for poor air quality due to smoke from Alberta and Saskatchewan fires[166][167] and ground-level ozone.

[180] All bridges connecting Staten Island to New Jersey had their speed limits reduced to 30 mph (48 km/h) due to low visibility from the wildfire smoke.

[192] New York City climbed into the worst tier of the United States Environmental Protection Agency's six-tier air quality index, causing Governor Kathy Hochul to call it an "emergency crisis".

[194] Horse racing at Belmont Park in New York was cancelled,[196] and Major League Baseball also postponed a game in Washington D.C. that night.

[202] On June 27, the smoke spread over the Midwest, causing Chicago to suffer from the worst air quality in the world, reaching 228 AQI.

[215] As the smoke was higher in the atmosphere, it did not affect air quality as it did in the United States, but forecasts predicted it could lead to more vivid sunrises and sunsets and hazy skies.

[225] Additionally, on September 19, four contract crew members died in a vehicle crash with a semi-truck near Walhachin, B.C., as they returned from a shift working on fires in the Vanderhoof region.

We would also like to express our deepest admiration to the first responders and volunteers who have been working to bring the fires under control, while also supporting their neighbours and communities in need.

We hold many fond memories of our visits to Western Canada and know that those affected will rise to this challenge with customary Canadian strength, resilience, and determination.

[233] Smoke from the wildfires caused highways in the territory to be shut down,[80] with the NWT government stating that "[h]ighway travel is not an option as a way out" due to dangerous conditions, instead saying "[y]our safest way out is on the plane, NOW.

"[133] Kandis Jameson, the mayor of Hay River, urged residents on August 15 to "find transport out of [town] immediately," describing their situation as "life-threatening.

[225] On August 14, Shane Thompson, the NWT Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, described the scale of the fires as "unprecedented" and "unlike anything we’ve ever experienced.

[239] On June 7, the provincial government announced it would give a one-time grant of $2,500 to registered farmers in Halifax and Shelburne County who had been under mandatory evacuation orders.

[110] The Canadian government outlined a first line of actions that could help avoid or mitigate wildfires in future seasons: On May 8, 22 firefighters from the Oregon Department of Forestry were sent to Alberta to assist in fire control efforts,[244] and on June 6, Quebec Premier François Legault announced that 200 French and American firefighters would travel to Quebec to help fight the wildfires, and that the province was in negotiations with Chile, Costa Rica, and Portugal to find more resources.

[245] On June 7, the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre said that 950 firefighters and other personnel had travelled from other countries (including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States) to provide aid.

Prime Minister Trudeau said that Canadian firefighters would also help other countries, saying that "fire seasons aren't always aligned and that allows for a travelling of resources that is part of how we're going to make sure we're protecting communities all around the world.

[249][250][251] Trudeau accused Facebook of "putting corporate profits ahead of people’s safety," with Premier of British Columbia David Eby expressing similar sentiments.

[251][248] Meta responded to these criticisms by stating that Canadians "can continue to use our technologies to connect with their communities and access reputable information […] from official government agencies, emergency services and non-governmental organizations," and encouraged them to use Facebook's Safety Check feature.

[255] In June, conspiracy theorists shared a TikTok video claiming that satellite footage showed the fires started spreading "at the same time" and that they were therefore caused deliberately.