With wildfires raging across the western U.S. and Canada, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) firefighters and equipment have been deployed to help. So far in 2025, Wisconsin crews have responded to over 65 out-of-state fire assignments.

Wisconsin DNR firefighters deployed to combat wildfires in U.S. and Canada, sending crews and engines across borders.

As wildfires plague Manitoba, the city’s leaders say they are happy to help but complain that Canada’s national government doesn’t consult them when contracting area hotels to provide emergency housing.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) shared today that Fire Control program staff have been mobilized across the western U.S. and Canada to combat increased wildfire activity and assist in suppression and protection efforts.

The baseless arson claims continue to gain traction, even with lawmakers from the United States. Multiple Republican lawmakers from Wisconsin and Minnesota recently continued the arson blame game and accused Canada of having poor forest management, saying their constituents are suffering because of it. The letter made no mention of climate change.

The blazes have destroyed nearly 15 million acres of land, and the fire season is expected to go into September. With it comes the threat of smoky days in Minnesota and North Dakota.

Provincial officials say they're hopeful firefighting efforts will protect Lytton, B.C., from a nearby out-of-control wildfire, as the small village continues to rebuild from the destructive 2021 blaze.

Minnesotans are inhaling another plume of smoke from Canada this week, and an attempt to blame Canada's handling of wildfires is being met with eye-rolls north of the border. Why it matters: Experts say smoky summers are likely the new normal in Minnesota and many parts of North America unaccustomed to dealing with the haze as climate change turns the continent's forests into tinderboxes.