When will wildfire smoke clear?
Toronto hospitals have reported a surge in emergency room visits for respiratory issues, likely linked to wildfire smoke and recent heat waves. Medical officials note that while most patients have pre-existing conditions, the poor air quality is exacerbating their symptoms.
Why it matters
Public health crises driven by climate-related events like wildfires are becoming an increasing concern for urban infrastructure.
Pedestrians wearing masks walk west on Dundas towards the Eaton Centre, Wednesday, July 15, 2026.
Toronto General Hospital and Toronto Western Hospital saw an 80 per cent jump in emergency room visits for respiratory illnesses on Wednesday compared to an average day two weeks ago, a spokesperson for UHN told the Star.
The tracked complaints included shortness of breath, allergic reactions, chest pains, coughing, and eye pain. Twenty people were treated on July 1, a number that rose to 26 on July 8 and then to 36 on Wednesday, though UHN’s Emergency Medicine Department Head Erin O’Connor said most patients already had severe underlying lung conditions.
“(The smoke) is just enough to tip them over a bit,” O’Connor said.
She mentioned many of the people coming in have lung cancer, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or emphysema, while children and the elderly are also at risk.
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