HGTV’s Page Turner shared a shocking video on July 15 from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where wildfire smoke has engulfed the city.
As of Wednesday, over 100 active wildfires are blazing through forestry in Ontario, the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System reported. Residents within close range were ordered a mandatory evacuation.
As the wildfires spread, smoke, as seen in Turner’s Instagram video, has turned the sky a hazy, orange hue. The smoke has also begun filling the air in the United States, reaching the Midwest and Northeast.
Turner, who splits her time between Los Angeles and Toronto, where she films HGTV’s “Love It or List It,” showed fans the wildfires’ impact in Toronto, located southeast of its province, Ontario.
Page Turner Confirms Her Safety in Canada
“I had to run a quick errand. It’s not foggy out or overcast, that’s smoke,” Turner said as she walked along the sidewalk. “I just hopped in an Uber. I usually walk, but I had to hop in an Uber because the smoke is bad.”
Turner noted that the smoke-filled air was so thick that residents were wearing masks to prevent smoke inhalation. With a heat advisory warning as well, affected residents have been asked to stay indoors.
“Like, we’ll have on masks now, and it’s really strong. So I’m about to go outside right now,” she said. “You can’t even see the sky. Those aren’t clouds, that’s smoke.”
As the HGTV star continued, she sympathized with the northwestern city of Collins First Nation, also known as Namaygoosisagagun First Nation, where the wildfires have consumed homes and buildings, Toronto City News reported.
“I’m praying for the people, I think it’s Collins, because apparently they’ve lost like a whole city, but it’s pretty bad out here,” Turner said.
The HGTV star also showed a video clip from her balcony, showing the depth of the smothering smoke. “Can’t even see the sky. So from my balcony, that’s all smoke,” she said.
Although Turner isn’t in a range that would cause her to evacuate, she thanked her loved ones for checking in on her safety as she endures the worsening conditions.
“Thank you everyone for checking on me in 🇨🇦 Toronto 🫶🏽 … I’m okay AND I’m staying inside 😭. The smoke blanketing Toronto is from 140+ active fires in NW Ontario alone .. Which is about 3 hours driving distance from Toronto,” she captioned her video. “Praying strength & safety to the evacuees and crews fighting the blazes 🥺 #toronto #ontariofires.”
Canadian Prime Minister Issues Statement
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney made a statement via X on Wednesday to those affected.
“The wildfire situation has escalated significantly over the last three weeks across the country, and particularly in Northwestern Ontario,” Carney wrote. “Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their communities, not knowing if their homes will survive.”
Carney also confirmed the measures that the Canadian government is willing to take to minimize the impact and ongoing devastation.
“Our government is in close contact with provincial, municipal, and Indigenous partners and stands ready to provide any additional support as needed,” he said.
