A freight train crew in north-western Ontario had to be rescued after their train was surrounded by wildfire, with video showing flames close to the track and a worker warning they were “encased” in fire. The incident matters because it highlights the scale and danger of the wildfire emergency in Canada, which is disrupting transport, threatening communities and sending hazardous smoke across major cities and into the United States.

Canadian National Rail said all workers near Armstrong, Ontario, were rescued safely and operations in the area have been temporarily suspended. Ontario has more than 100 active wildfires, while 838 are burning across Canada overall, and smoke left Toronto with some of the worst air quality in the world, according to IQAir. Officials warned people to stay indoors and avoid strenuous activity, while smoke was also expected to drift into parts of the US, including near New Jersey ahead of Sunday’s World Cup final; however, authorities said conditions were not expected to match the severe 2023 smoke event.