Freight train 'encased in flames' as wildfires rage across Canada; smoke threatens World Cup final
Dramatic video from Armstrong, Ontario, shows a CN Rail freight train engulfed by a wall of fire, with workers calling for rescue. All crew were safely evacuated, but smoke from more than 800 active fires across Canada has blanketed Toronto with the world's worst air quality and now threatens Sunday's World Cup final in New Jersey.
Video captures train surrounded by wildfire
A freight train travelling near Armstrong, a community in northwestern Ontario, was overrun by a fast-moving wildfire on 13 July. Footage shared by Ontario MPP Sol Mamakwa shows the train rushing past burning trees as intense flames lick the windows. In the recording, a crew member describes the rapidly deteriorating situation.
This could potentially overtake us here, this has gotten a little scary.
As the wall of fire closes in, another voice on the radio reports being completely enveloped. The crew urgently requested an emergency rescue while the train continued through the blazing landscape.
We're encased in flames now.
Crew safely rescued and operations suspended
Canadian National Railway confirmed in a statement that all workers trapped near Armstrong were rescued without injury. Operations in the region were temporarily halted. The company did not detail how the rescue was carried out. On 14 July, CN Rail acknowledged that three freight trains carrying combustible materials had been stopped in the Armstrong area because of the wildfires. The video, first shared by Mamakwa on social media, prompted the MPP to demand clarification from the railway about the incident and the threat facing northern communities.
Wildfires ravage northwestern Ontario and beyond
Across Ontario, 185 wildfires were active as of the latest provincial data, with 148 fires burning in the northwest alone and 69 classified as out of control. Nationwide, the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre reports 838 active fires. Extreme heat, dry conditions, and strong winds continue to fuel the flames. Evacuation orders remain in place for Armstrong and several First Nations communities in the region. More than a dozen fires are also burning in the US state of Minnesota, located on the Canadian border, due to similar weather conditions.
Smoke blankets Toronto and triggers health alerts
Smoke from the fires drifted hundreds of kilometres south, enveloping Canada's largest city. On 15 July, Toronto woke to hazy yellow skies and air quality that monitoring company IQAir ranked as the worst in the world, ahead of Kinshasa, Delhi, Dubai, and Jerusalem. Toronto officials issued warnings urging people to stay indoors, avoid strenuous activity, and watch for symptoms ranging from eye irritation to more serious wheezing. Outdoor World Cup fan events for the England versus Argentina match on Wednesday were cancelled, and public wading pools closed.
World Cup final and cross-border smoke concerns
Forecasters warn that smoke is expected to drift into US cities over the coming days, reaching the Midwest and Northeast. New Jersey, where the World Cup final is scheduled for Sunday 19 July, lies in the projected path. In Minnesota and Wisconsin, extreme heat warnings are set to expire by Thursday night, but air quality alerts remain in effect for millions of residents. Environment Canada cautioned that children, the elderly, and people with health conditions are especially vulnerable.
- Freight train engulfed by wildfire near Armstrong, crew calls for rescue.
- CN Rail halts operations in Armstrong, confirms three trains carrying combustible materials were stopped.
- Toronto records worst global air quality; outdoor World Cup fan events cancelled.
- World Cup final in New Jersey potentially affected by drifting wildfire smoke.
