Despite the severe conditions, many residents continued to spend time outdoors, while others wore face masks as the smoke drifted across the city.
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The deteriorating air qualityolistcoincided with a heat alert, as temperatures spiked to 33 °C—just shy of the July 15 record. Authorities cancelled outdoor programs for children and opened cooling centres. Environment Canada cautioned that the adverse smoky conditions were unlikely to improve before Friday.
Howard Shapiro, Toronto’s Associate Medical Officer of Health, likened exposure to the smoke to passive smoking, warning that fine particulate matter contains a mixture of harmful chemicals that can affect anyone regardless of age or underlying health. The smoke originates from 148 active wildfires burning across northwestern Ontario, where firefighters continue to battle multiple large blazes.
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