U.S. ambassador says wildfires offer a reminder of countries’ shared challenges

By Canadian Press on August 5, 2025.

OTTAWA — U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra says Canada’s recent wildfires offer a “stark reminder” of the countries’ shared challenges.

In a statement shared by the U.S. Embassy, Hoekstra says the fires also show the importance of the two countries working together to protect lives, communities and natural resources.

Hoekstra says he’s “proud” of the more than 800 U.S. firefighters who are helping Canada during the wildfire season.

He says U.S. resources mobilized to Canada include airtankers, firefighting crews, incident management teams and overhead staff.

Hoekstra says the United States and Canada have “a long history” of supporting one another in times of crisis and that Canadians stood with Americans during the California wildfires earlier this year.

The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, a non-profit owned and operated by federal, provincial and territorial wildland fire management agencies, says on its website that almost 750 active wildfires are burning across Canada.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 5, 2025.

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press