McMaster experts available to discuss wildfires, air quality and health concerns, prevention

Hamilton, ON, July 15, 2026 – From Thunder Bay to Toronto, wildfire smoke has blanketed parts of Ontario, the Great Lakes and some US states, darkening skies in an amber haze.

As the smoke moves south across densely populated urban centres, many are left wondering about the immediate and long-term implications, the potential for further wildfires of this magnitude, and how we can limit wildfires and improve the safety of remote communities.

McMaster experts are available to discuss concerns on the wildfire smoke currently affecting parts of Ontario:

• Sarah Styler (associate professor, Chemistry & Chemical Biology) is a Canada Research Chair in Atmospheric Chemistry who can speak to general air quality issues during wildfires and airborne pollutants. She can be reached at stylers@mcmaster.ca.
• Alemu Gonsamo (associate professor, Earth, Environment & Society) is an expert on wildfire carbon emissions, satellite-based monitoring of wildfires, and climate change associated with wildfires. He can be reached at gonsamoa@mcmaster.ca.
• Ramla Qureshi (assistant professor, Civil Engineering) is an expert on designing homes, communities, and other infrastructure for climate and wildfire resilience. She can be reached at quresr11@mcmaster.ca.
• Martin Kolb (professor, Medicine) is a respirologist and research director of the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health. He is an expert on the mechanisms of lung injury, repair, and fibrosis, including interstitial lung disease (ILD), who can comment on the potential health effects of inhaled wildfire smoke. Martin can be reached at kolbm@mcmaster.ca.
• Margaret McKinnon (professor, Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences) is a clinical psychologist and an expert on PTSD and trauma-related illness who can comment on the potential psychological impacts of wildfires for first responders, evacuees, and the general public. Her team at McMaster developed the Canadian Emergency Mental Health and Well-Being Resources (CanEMERG) website, which provides free, evidence-informed resources designed to help Canadians cope with the emotional and psychological effects of emergencies and disasters, including wildfires. Margaret can be reached at mckinno@mcmaster.ca.