I woke up today seeing that my windows appeared to have an yellow/orange tint to them, signalling that wildfire smoke was upon my city and reminding us that climate-related hazards are increasingly becoming visible parts of our daily lives.

I’m a family physician, public health physician and medical educator. My work and research in space medicine has also given me a unique appreciation for planetary environments, and as I looked out at the orange haze, I could not help but reflect on how this view resembles the dust-filled skies astronauts will one day encounter when viewing the Martian landscape.

The current wildfires in Northern Ontario are impacting not just surrounding regions but a large swath of eastern North America, with wildfire smoke travelling far beyond the immediate fire zone and affecting communities hundreds of kilometres away.

As I write this, Toronto has the worst recorded air quality in the world. Millions across the United States are also being impacted by wildfire smoke originating from Canadian wildfires.

The triple threat of wildfire, poor air quality and extreme heat have been impacting countries around the world, including Canada, the United States and European nations.

Climate change is creating conditions that are increasingly favourable for wildfires, including hotter temperatures. Wildfire smoke can travel long distances, impacting air quality and increasing health risks for populations far removed from the original wildfire.

Read more: The Jasper fire highlights the........

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