Effective August 19th, the United States will apply new US tariffs of 50% on a range of BC forest products exports to the US. …While initial news coverage tended to make light of the trade action likely because of the likely symbolic inclusion of hockey sticks, the implications for BC’s already beleaguered forest products sector are serious. …I estimate that BC exported up to approximately $991 million of forest products potentially subject to Section 338 tariffs to the US in 2025. …The impacts of these new tariffs extend well beyond hockey sticks and are likely to be felt across a broad range of forest manufacturing segments. Major producers of veneer, LVL, plywood, MDF, paper products and furniture could be affected directly. However, the impacts may be felt further down the value chain.
Determining which US duties and tariffs applied to Canadian forest products has become increasingly complex. One major difference from previous tariff threats is that the new Section 338 tariffs apply to CUSMA-compliant products, that would otherwise qualify for tariff-free access to the US market. Products already covered by Section 232 are exempt from the new Section 338 measures. This includes Canadian logs and softwood lumber, which are currently subject to a 10% Section 232 tariff as well as upholstered furniture and kitchen cabinets and vanities, which currently face a 25% tariff that is scheduled to increase on January 1, 2027. There are also products that are not covered by Section 232 tariffs but are subject to softwood lumber antidumping (AD) and countervailing (CVD) duties, and which may also be captured by Section 338 tariffs, resulting in a potentially devastating cumulative burden.
For all manufacturer of the products listed, it’s the indirect exposures and the potential impact on downstream supply chains that is hard to assess. …Section 338 tariffs are yet another critical blow that could lead to lower harvesting, reduced manufacturing, and potentially additional curtailments or mill closures for small and large businesses.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Many Canadian exporters are facing the threat of 50% duties on their goods under Section 338 tariffs. …These firms may also need to increase their customs-bond coverage, which guarantees payment of duties and fees if an importer defaults, as higher tariffs increase the US government’s exposure. But trade lawyers and customs professionals say another change could affect far more Canadian exporters… an executive order that seeks to tighten US customs enforcement to crack down on trade fraud and shell importers that evade duties. “They’re going to a stricter importer regime … directing US authorities to strengthen the importer registration, bonding, disclosure, vetting, and enforcement,” said Martha Goncalves, at PwC Canada. …“The US trying to change the global trading system, and this is just part of their playbook,” she said. “Unfortunately, we get hit hardest because we have such a big footprint of Canadian exports going to the US”
Canadian lumber company Interfor Corp. confirmed plans Friday to move corporate support functions to the United States from its Burnaby, BC headquarters. “We recently announced the transition of certain corporate support roles to our Peachtree City office in Georgia, where the majority of our operations are located within the Central, Eastern and Atlantic time zones,” Ian Fillinger, the company’s CEO, said on a conference call with analysts. “This change is intended to better align our support functions with the needs of our business while maintaining a strong corporate presence in both Canada and the United States.” …“This is not a redomiciling of the company, nor does it alter our longstanding commitment within our Canadian operations, mills, employees, or communities,” Fillinger said. “Our leadership team remains in place, and Burnaby will continue to play an important role as our corporate headquarters.” [A subscription to the National Post is required for full access]
Canada and the US are discussing a prospective deal in which Ottawa would agree to a long list of Trump administration trade demands in exchange for some relief on sectoral tariffs. According to three sources, the two sides have discussed in-depth proposals and traded written bargaining positions but an agreement has not yet been reached. …Canada would concede on a range of trade issues that the US considers the biggest bilateral trade irritants, including autos, alcohol dairy. …In return, the US. would lower sectoral levies, known as Sec. 232 tariffs, on steel and aluminum, with Ottawa also pushing for relief on autos and forest products. Canada is also hoping to avoid Trump’s latest round of threatened tariffs, scheduled to take effect in less than two weeks’ time. …The deal under discussion would represent only the first phase of trade talks and is being described as an “interim deal.” [to access the full story a Globe and Mail subscription is required]
Canada is imposing a temporary tariff on imports of some wood products as Ottawa awaits the findings of a probe into possible harmful practices in the global market. The federal government said in a news release that Canada will impose a 25% surtax on certain wood cabinets and vanities starting Friday. Those tariffs will be in place for a maximum of 200 days while the Canadian International Trade Tribunal investigates whether increased imports of those goods are threatening to harm Canada’s domestic producers. Wood cabinets and vanities manufactured in the United States, Mexico, Israel, Chile and developing nations will be exempt from the tariffs. The federal government said that’s in keeping with Canada’s international trade obligations. …Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne asked for the Canadian International Trade Tribunal inquiry back in April at the request of the Canadian Wood Products Alliance. The tribunal is expected to report its findings by Jan. 15, 2027.
The Municipality of North Cowichan is asking the provincial government to help fund critical infrastructure projects it says are needed to support the redevelopment of the former Domtar pulp mill site in Crofton and future growth throughout the municipality. In a letter to Premier David Eby, Mayor Rob Douglas outlines several priorities related to the closure of the Crofton mill, including securing the community’s long-term drinking water supply, exploring the use of the site’s wastewater treatment facilities and investing in infrastructure needed to support industrial, commercial and residential development. Douglas said North Cowichan’s primary goal is to see the former mill property remain an industrial employment centre while restoring the stable industrial tax base the municipality relied on during the mill’s decades of operation. The Domtar pulp mill ceased operations earlier this year… prompting discussions about how the strategically located waterfront industrial property can be redeveloped for future growth.
VALEMOUNT, BC — The Valemount Industrial Park sawmill may be only weeks away from exhausting its remaining log supply, raising the prospect of another curtailment and further layoffs unless additional fibre can be secured. The issue at hand is that there are no new logging contracts for the mill. During a lengthy and at times tense board discussion on July 29th, members were told the mill had approximately 15 to 20 operating days of logs left. …The looming end of the log supply means the board may soon face a decision larger than how to measure the mill’s performance. Without a new source of fibre, the board will have to determine whether to curtail operations, reduce costs and wait for market conditions to change, or continue trying to keep the mill operating with help from Industrial Park lease revenue.
THUNDER BAY — Northern Ontario businesses are facing another period of trade uncertainty as United States President Donald Trump prepares to impose an additional 50 per cent tariff on a wide range of Canadian products. …For Northern Ontario, the greatest immediate concern is likely to be forestry, wood and paper products and smaller manufacturers selling into the U.S. market. …FedNor says 96% of Ontario’s forestry exports go to the United States. It also identifies 10 Northern Ontario communities where at least 20 per cent of community income is connected to forestry. Ontario’s forest sector supported more than 128,000 direct and indirect jobs provincewide in 2024. …The tariff schedules are product-specific and some forest products are already covered by other U.S. trade measures. …For Northern Ontario sawmills, paper producers and secondary wood manufacturers, the risk comes from both the tariff itself and the uncertainty surrounding it.
OTTAWA — Canada’s forest-products industry is urging the federal government to develop a forestry-specific approach to rail transportation costs and reliability, arguing that the sector faces different competitive pressures than steel and other heavy industries. …For Northwestern Ontario the issue is particularly significant. Mills are often located hundreds of kilometres from major markets, ports and border crossings, making reliable and competitively priced rail service critical to maintaining production and jobs. …According to FPAC, the average shipment of Canadian forest products travels roughly 1,200 kilometres over land…. amount to between $2 billion and $3 billion annually. For mills across Northwestern Ontario, transportation reliability can influence inventory levels, production schedules, export competitiveness and ultimately employment. …For Northwestern Ontario, the rail-cost debate comes at a time when the forest sector is already dealing with pressures from international trade, changing lumber markets, energy and labour costs and the need for continued investment in mills and equipment.
President Trump has made housing affordability a defining commitment of his second term by moving aggressively to build more housing. …If these efforts succeed, America could see its fastest expansion in homebuilding in decades. But a significant blind spot remains. For decades, the US has imposed import tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber, constraining supply, and raising prices. …The solution is not complicated, and it is already within reach: Use the bilateral trade talks that the USMCA review has set in motion to finally resolve the US-Canada softwood lumber dispute. ..For Trump, resolving this dispute is a two-for-one win. It would secure concessions that Canada was unwilling to give during his first term, and helps the White House reduce the cost to build a home. …As conservatives, it is imperative that we demonstrate that our policy agendas materially benefit American workers. The USMCA talks remain the fastest path to making it happen.
More than two dozen US states filed a lawsuit Monday seeking to strike down President Trump’s tariffs on 60 trading partners — including Canada — over forced labour concerns, arguing he exceeded his authority. The tariffs were announced last month under Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974. …But the lawsuit, filed by Oregon and 24 other Democrat-led states in the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York, argues the tariffs are simply meant to replace Trump’s previous temporary 10% global tariff that expired just as the new duties were announced. The timing “confirms that the tariff action is pretextual, arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to Section 301’s statutorily constrained purpose,” the statement of claim says. …The tariff action merely attempts to continue the president’s blanket global tariff policy, and the attempt ‘to obtain the elimination’ of forced labor in trading partners’ supply chains is pretextual, it is unlawful,” the court document says.
COWICHAN BAY, BC — Western Forest Products has announced the extension of their Cowichan Bay Sawmill curtailment until the fall. The move leaves 54 employees without work, said Brian Butler, president of United Steelworkers Local 1-1937. The Cowichan Bay workers join the 120 workers from the Chemainus Sawmill, who have been curtailed indefinitely since June 2025. “Beyond what WFP has advised about the Cowichan Bay Sawmill curtailment lasting through September, we have no information beyond that,” Butler noted. …“It remains a very difficult period of time for our members in these operations,” Butler said. …WFP spokesperson Kelly Marion said the Cowichan Bay mill closure is “in response to persistently weak market conditions.” She added that the company is continuing “to work to mitigate the impact on employees by providing work opportunities at our other operations where possible.”
Canadian northern bleached softwood kraft (NBSK) pulp has gone through a difficult cycle over the past three years. Following exceptionally strong prices after the pandemic, the market weakened as Chinese demand slowed, producer inventories grew and new hardwood pulp capacity came online in South America. …China remains the single most important external influence on Canadian pulp prices. As the world’s largest importer of market pulp, changes in Chinese inventories, paper production and economic growth quickly move global prices. Strong Chinese buying typically supports Canadian producers, while periods of inventory reduction or weak manufacturing place immediate downward pressure on pulp markets. …Recovered (recycled) fibre has become an increasingly important part of the industry. …The industry’s greatest challenge is increasingly on the supply side. …Over the next two to three years, the outlook for NBSK is cautiously positive. Unlike hardwood pulp, very little new softwood capacity is being built globally. [to access the full story, a Globe & Mail subscription is required]
NEW YORK, NY — Mercer International reported second quarter 2026 Operating EBITDA of negative $21.0 million, a decrease from negative $20.9 million in the same quarter of 2025 and positive $7.8 million in the first quarter of 2026. In the second quarter of 2026, net loss was $76.0 million compared to $86.1 million in the same quarter of 2025 and $52.0 million in the first quarter of 2026. Mr. Juan Carlos Bueno, Chief Executive Officer, stated: “Our pulp sales realizations remained steady this quarter, as continued economic uncertainty delayed market recovery. Our second quarter results were also weighed down by rising European fiber costs, driven by regional supply shortages and intense competition for sawmill residuals from energy producers. As a result, we recognized a non-cash impairment of $29.0 million primarily against pulp and fiber inventory.
The United States’ share of Canada’s softwood lumber exports fell by 1 percentage point to 89% in January-June 2026. Canada exported 13.2 million m3, down 12%, while export value fell 26% to $2.45 billion and the average price declined 16% to $186 per m3. …Shipments to the US fell 13% to 11.7 million m3, a reduction of 1.73 million m3 from a year earlier. Export value dropped 29% to $2.02 billion, and the average price fell 18% to $172 per m3. The listed destinations with higher shipments added 77 thousand m3, equal to about 4% of the US shortfall. Declines in Japan, the Philippines, Germany and the remaining destinations totaled 128 thousand m3, leaving total non-U.S. exports down 51 thousand m3, or 3%, at 1.50 million m3. China remained Canada’s second-largest market with a 4% share. Shipments rose 3% to 525 thousand m3. Japan ranked third with a 3% share, but shipments fell 19% to 373 thousand m3. Taiwan accounted for 1.4%, the Philippines retained a 0.8% share, Mexico rose to 49 thousand m3,Germany received 33 thousand m3.
BURNABY, BC — Interfor reported its second quarter of 2026 results. The company recorded net earnings in Q2’26 of $1.0 million, compared to a net loss of $63.3 million, and net earnings of $11.1 million in Q2’25. Adjusted EBITDA was $92.3 million on sales of $804.4 million in Q2’26 versus $30.7 million on sales of $643.2 million in Q1’26 and Adjusted EBITDA of $17.2 million on sales of $780.5 million in Q2’25. ….Lumber production of 927 million board feet was up 71 million board feet versus the preceding quarter driven primarily by the ramp up of the recently rebuilt Thomaston, GA sawmill. …The Company is well positioned to navigate this volatility with a diversified product mix in Canada and the US, with approximately 65% of its total lumber produced and sold within the US Ultimately, only about 20% of the Company’s total lumber production is exported from Canada to the U.S. and exposed to duties, tariffs or other potential trade measures.
Home sales are slumping, renovation spending is losing steam and yet lumber prices have risen this summer to their highest level in four years. Back in 2022, the price of two-by-fours was falling back to earth after a record-setting spike during Covid. …This time around, reduced supply rather than unyielding demand has driven lumber prices higher. Imports are down due to steep duties on Canadian boards and President Trump’s 10% softwood lumber tariff. Meanwhile, low prices last year prompted sawmill curtailments and closures from BC to northern Florida. …Home builders… say the run-up in prices has become a headwind and will filter through to the cost of houses. Yet lumber futures, which are down about 12% from their high in late July, suggest that wood prices may have peaked for this year. …“I don’t anticipate that those mills that have been shut down are going to come back,” said Weyerhaeuser CEO Devin Stockfish. [to access the full story a WSJ subscription is required]
MONTREAL, Quebec – Stella-Jones announced financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2026. …Sales for the second quarter of 2026 were $1,042 million, up eight million dollars, versus sales of $1,034 million for the second quarter of last year. Excluding the $29 million contribution from the acquisition of Brooks Manufacturing, pressure-treated wood sales decreased by $13 million, or 1%. …Adjusted EBITDA of $167 million, or 16.0% margin compared to $189 million, or 18.3% margin in Q2, 2025. Net income was $61 million compared to $106 million in Q2. …This performance reflected higher wood utility poles sales, largely offset by the lower market price of lumber for residential lumber and lower volumes in railway ties. Logs and lumber sales declined by eight million dollars, or 31%, primarily due to a reduction in logs trading activity. …Eric Vachon, President and CEO of Stella-Jones said “We expect margin performance to improve in the second half of the year.”
Re-escalation of the conflict in Iran pushed mortgage rates higher in July. According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.54% in July, up 5 basis points (bps) over June. Since the conflict in the Middle East began, the 30-year mortgage rate has climbed by almost 50 bps. The average 15-year rate averaged 5.91% in July, up 9 bps from June, and up 48 basis points since the end of February. Compared to a year ago, the 30-year rate remains lower by 18 bps, however, the 15-year rate is now higher by 5 bps. The 10-year Treasury yield, a key benchmark for long-term borrowing, rose 10 bps to an average of 4.58% in July as renewed attacks in the Strait of Hormuz heightened concerns about energy supplies and inflation. The yield rose sharply, ending July at 4.67%, 23 bps above its June closing level.
The economic situation of the German sawmilling and timber industry remains strained, according to the latest report from the German Sawmill and Timber Industry Association (DESH). Ther Berlin-based group, which represents German sawmillers, says the persistently weak construction sector, the global economic and sales crisis, high raw material and production costs, and mounting cost pressures are placing a significant burden on domestic companies. It warns of a further deterioration in the situation. In the coming weeks, DESH says many companies will be forced to scale back production capacities and extend scheduled maintenance periods. “Despite promising rhetoric from policymakers, the hoped-for recovery of the domestic construction industry has yet to materialize,” it said. “Demand for construction timber in key export markets also remains subdued due to geopolitical crises and a global economic slowdown. At the same time, persistently high costs for raw materials, energy, and production are burdening companies. 
Housing starts across Japan climbed 18.6% in June for a third straight monthly rise, with the recovery missing the two-by-four segment built on imported dimension lumber, where starts fell 7.4%. That is according to data the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism released, which shows owner-occupied, rental, and built-for-sale housing all rising, while the platform-frame trade went the other way. Economists had expected a 12.8% rise, with the stronger result still slowing sharply from May’s 33.9% surge as owner-occupied growth eased to 15.7% from 31.8, rentals to 24.6 from 33.3, and built-for-sale homes to 14.2 from 39.2. Prefab housing swung 13.7% higher after a 3.4% fall in May, leaving two-by-four as the only wooden segment in decline. None of the growth measures a strong market, because the comparison month produced just 55,956 starts, down 15.6% in a third straight fall after the April 2025 revision to the Building Standards Act.
Urban conversations in North America often seem trapped between competing visions… between detached suburban development, low-scale missing middle housing, and high-rise intensification. An alternative lies in a form of urbanism that has shaped some of the world
NORTH DAKOTA — Eric Hoffer, senior project manager at JLG Architects in Bismarck, North Dakota, says mass timber projects are surging due to updated building codes, regional supply chain advantages and a growing focus on embodied carbon — the emissions from manufacturing and transport. Despite accounting for fewer than 1% of national building projects, mass timber is one of sustainable architecture’s fastest-growing trends, with roughly 20% annual growth. “Mass timber sequesters carbon, which then acts as a carbon sink,” Hoffer explained. …The growth of mass timber construction, including cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glue-laminated timber (glulam), continues to gain momentum. Project owners are choosing mass timber for a number of reasons, including lower embodied carbon than conventional concrete and steel, faster prefabricated construction, and the warm, natural interior aesthetics it provides. …Some examples of mass timber projects in the region include the Wurth Elektronik Headquarters expansion in Watertown, South Dakota, completed this spring. 
Canada is blessed with some of the largest forests in the world. Unfortunately, it is being increasingly affected by insects, disease, drought, and the effects of a warming climate. These damaged forests now contain significant fuel loads that contribute to large, more intense wildfires, which can spread into adjacent healthy and mixed forests, further degrading one of Canada’s greatest natural assets. …An overlooked consequence is the loss of the economic value derived from the carbon Canada’s forests store and remove from the atmosphere – a value we rarely account for. …Canada could become one of the world’s largest forest carbon offset opportunities by establishing a value across the country for forest carbon credits, helping finance restoration while expanding Canada’s forests for future generations. This is not rocket science, it is forest science. …Rather than watching our forests decline rapidly, we should reverse course and invest in growing them. [to access the full story a Globe and Mail subscription is required]
A group of protesters gathered outside B.C. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar’s Langford office Sunday, accusing the provincial government of failing to live up to its commitments to protect old-growth forests. The demonstrators say the province is moving in the wrong direction on old-growth protection and pointed to an increase in old-growth timber being offered through BC Timber Sales. …The protest comes amid an ongoing debate over the future of B.C.’s forestry industry, as the province attempts to balance old-growth protection, First Nations rights and the economic importance of forestry. …The province has previously maintained it is working to protect at-risk old-growth forests while supporting forestry-dependent communities and maintaining a viable industry. …The dispute comes as B.C.’s forestry sector faces significant economic challenges. According to the BC Council of Forest Industries, 21 lumber mills have closed permanently or indefinitely since 2023.
The BC government’s decision to grant a logging company permits to install three gates blocking access to the Walbran Valley’s old-growth forests was almost certain to draw criticism from environmental organizations. …“Blocking access to these places damages the relationship people have to the landscape… which only benefits logging companies,” said Torrance Coste of the Wilderness Committee. …But the gates are much more than just a physical barrier to would-be travellers. They also highlight a divide among environmental organizations and First Nations and the BC government over the future of old-growth forests. …Tsawak-qin is invested in logging Vancouver Island’s increasingly rare old-growth forests, including forests adjacent to and potentially inside the unprotected portion of the Walbran. …Jeff Jones, Elected Chief of the Pacheedaht First Nation, said… “we have two community forest partnerships. We have a sawmill that we benefit from… that creates employment. And we also get the revenues from the partnerships.”
The Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) has expanded eligibility under its Fibre Utilization Funding Program to include Timber Sale Licences. Eligible applicants can now apply for funding to recover biomass from active and approved Timber Sale Licences (TSLs) issued prior to July 31, 2026. Organizations that are new to the program, or that do not currently have FESBC Fibre Utilization funding, are encouraged to review the 2026-27 Fibre Utilization Funding Program Guide and submit an application. Current Fibre Utilization funding recipients may also be able to amend their existing projects to include eligible Timber Sales Licences.
ALBERTA — A multi-year investigation into an unapproved bridge built over the Highwood River by a logging company in critical habitat for a threatened fish species was halted by a federal ministry due to a lack of resources. An internal 2025 document… states Fisheries and Oceans Canada had multiple ongoing investigations into critical habitat being destroyed, but the regulator lacked resources to work on them all. …Highwood River in Kananaskis Country grabbed the regulator’s attention after it learned Spray Lake Sawmills built a bridge over it without federal approval in 2023. …The two-year investigation was halted despite federal staff finding “destruction of critical habitat for bull trout” had happened, during an on-site visit in 2023. Instead, the federal ministry found West Fraser’s work (the company that took over the project from Spray Lake Sawmills) had been “fulfilled to the satisfaction of the (DFO)” after it removed the unapproved bridges and created a remediation plan.
The soupy, toxic fog that hung over Seattle and the Puget Sound region last week was a constant reminder of the wildfires raging across Eastern Washington. It can feel insufferable and inevitable — that the fires will burn, increasingly in every corner of the state, as the years become hotter and drier. But rather than resigning ourselves to this fate, the smoky skies should reinforce a call to action, for every Washingtonian. The wildfires that consumed neighborhoods in Spokane and enveloped forests in Chelan and elsewhere have a kind of performance-enhancing drug feeding their flames: climate change. As a society, we can choose to deny this reality, but it does little good to do so. The forecast each year will continue to be tinderbox-like conditions. We must do all we can to prepare for it. …Inaction will lead to devastation. Facing this growing risk is the only option. [to access the full story a Seattle Times subscription is required]
MAINE — Researchers walking through the forest during a major spruce budworm outbreak in the 1990s discovered some healthy fir trees unaffected by the deadly pests, and wondered what gave them apparent immunity. They took needles from the healthy trees to study at their University of New Brunswick lab, and found they contained a fungus with a beneficial relationship with the trees. …The discovery attracted the attention of Canadian forestry conglomerate J.D. Irving, the largest owner of forested land in Maine. The partnership, which started in 1999, resulted in a novel way to combat future outbreaks: breeding budworm-resistant trees. Its strategy to use natural fungi — known as endophytes — is at the forefront of science to find more natural solutions. Several universities in the US are researching how endophytes act in other types of trees. …Irving Woodlands is ramping up production of the trees in a newly opened greenhouse in New Brunswick. 
Europe’s forests are losing more biomass than previously thought, with disturbances such as drought and pests causing increasingly large losses from some of the oldest forests in Europe. This situation has deteriorated markedly since 2018. These are the findings of a 
There have been more than 800 wildfires across Canada so far this year and nearly four million hectares of land has been burned. …In addition to the fires’ immediate damage to our natural landscapes and well-being, there’s another way to think about their climate implications: a healthy forest spends decades pulling carbon out of the air and locking it away in tree trunks, branches and roots. A wildfire undoes that long-term work almost overnight, and releases all of that carbon. …Carbon removal is distinct from carbon capture… it’s a distinct process that pulls carbon already in the atmosphere back out, rather than just capturing it as it’s produced, and this deserves a policy environment to catalyze it. …Some carbon-removal companies take fire-killed trees that have no other use, which would otherwise decompose or fuel the next fire, and bury it in engineered, low-oxygen sites where its carbon stays locked away for a century or more. [to access the full story a Globe and Mail subscription is required]
The planet’s warming had a strong influence on destructive wildfires in Canada that have raged across Ontario and the Northwest Territories since late June, making the extreme fire weather that fueled them at least twice as likely, according to 
Another round of intense heat is expected to sweep across large swaths of Europe this week, following a record-breaking start to the summer in Western Europe. Forecasters warned that rapidly rising temperatures, combined with persistently bone-dry conditions, could worsen the severe threat of wildfires. The latest heat wave will be Europe’s fifth since May, as a broad area of high pressure — also known as a heat dome — intensifies across the continent. The new heat wave comes after Western Europe recorded its hottest June to July period on record, according to Copernicus, the European Union’s climate monitoring service. The average temperature across the region during the two-month period was 21.62 degrees Celsius (70.92 degrees Fahrenheit), 2.79 degrees Celsius (5.02 degrees Fahrenheit) above average, which surpassed the previous record set in 2022. The most extreme heat is expected initially across parts of France, Spain and Italy before shifting toward Central Europe. [to access the full story a NY Times subscription is required]
We can’t do much to prevent losing more communities to wildfires, and we certainly can’t reduce the scale of fires in the boreal forest. But we can minimize the health impacts of wildfire smoke, which should help us deal with the economic impact of wildfires and other climate disasters. …First, we need to minimize the damage of PM2.5 and other particles in wildfire smoke. That would involve more airtight homes, workspaces and schools, plus air purifiers in every room and office. In new construction, air purification should be built right into the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems. Second, we need to start using N95 masks whenever air quality drops. …Third, we need to recognize that wildfires and heat waves can threaten electricity grids by damaging transmission lines. The remedy here would be installing enough solar power in homes and workplaces. …We will also have to prepare for long-term health consequences of wildfires.
SEARSMONT, Maine — Two volunteer firefighters died and 11 others were injured after an oxygen-limiting silo exploded during a fire at a Maine lumber mill. The 20-by-60-foot silo contained kiln-dried wood shavings and residual sawdust. Neither facility employees nor responding firefighters recognized that the silo was oxygen-limiting or that its contents posed a combustible dust explosion hazard. Crews directed water through an opening into the silo’s base for more than 30 minutes. At approximately 11 a.m., firefighters heard a “whoosh” as smoke rapidly vented from the top, and the silo launched into the air as fire erupted below it. NIOSH’s investigation highlights the need for hazard-specific preplans, disciplined accountability and tactics designed for oxygen-limiting silos. Recommendations for fire departments include:
Evacuation orders are in place across parts of the Western U.S. and Southwest Canada as extremely hot and dry conditions fuel the spread of wildfires in the region. There were 183 new fires, including eight large ones, across the U.S. since Saturday, the National Interagency Fire Center reported on Sunday. More than 30,000 personnel with over 640 crews were assigned to the fires. Firefighters were battling more than 94 large fires across the country, the agency also said. …Two pilots died on Friday after their helicopter crashed while battling the Widemouth 2 Fire in Fishlake National Forest, the U.S. Forest Service confirmed Sunday. …In Oregon, a bulldozer operator identified by officials as Jason Ensign, died battling the Wrights Spring Fire, which has spread over 33,000 acres and was 0% contained as of Sunday afternoon. …In Canada, there were more than 100 active wildfires in the British Columbia. …A 
SUMMERLAND, BC — Kyla Gaudiuso says she found out her home in Faulder, BC, had been destroyed when she received a photo of the ridge where it once stood. The community west of Summerland was one of the first areas overrun by the Bald Range wildfire that has claimed one life and forced more than 20,000 residents around Okanagan Lake to flee. RCMP say an 80-year-old woman died because of the fire as she tried to escape her home in Meadow Valley, west of Summerland, over the weekend. The British Columbia government on Saturday declared a provincial state of emergency and says property losses are significant, though details are scant. …The BC Wildfire Service says the fire is about 136 square kilometres as it burns out of control on the outskirts of Summerland, a community of 12,000 people that has been ordered evacuated. About 10,000 homes are under evacuation order in the Summerland and Peachland area.
Just three days into August, Oregon has already broken its record for its worst wildfire season on record, with more than 2 million acres burned across the state. …Oregon has seen wildfire activity surge in 2026, with the Oregon Department of Forestry counting more than 1,300 fires so far this year. Here is an update on the largest fires burning across the state: