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Canadian officials say firefighters can't reduce smoke drift from wildfires, despite U.S. complaints about Canada's efforts, reported the Globe and Mail.

The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, a non-profit organization that brokers staff and equipment for wildland fire management agencies, briefed reporters Thursday on Canada’s ongoing wildfire season. It ranks as the second-worst on record, with 4,344 fires detected and 711 still active as of Monday, according to the Centre.

Meanwhile, Natural Resources Canada attributes wildfires to ‘climate change’ and prolonged drought.

Last week, Republican lawmakers from Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, and North Dakota filed a formal complaint with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and the International Joint Commission regarding wildfire smoke. They seek an investigation into Canada’s wildfire management and potential remedies under international law.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew earlier accused the group of political games. “I’ve shaken the hands of American firefighters helping us in northern Manitoba,” Kinew stated July 10, “and I would challenge these ambulance chasers … to do the same.”

Associate Director Mike McCulley informed reporters that fires nationwide are generating smoke reaching the lower stratosphere, traveling hundreds of kilometers east and south. He noted that many of these fires are “burning in very difficult, inoperable terrain,” and the firefighters are humans with lives.

McCulley cautions that even if these fires are predicted, it doesn't mean they can be actively extinguished or managed to reduce smoke. “I don’t want to leave the wrong impression that that means we’re going to be able to go and actively put them out or manage them in a way that reduces the smoke.”

However, Republican lawmakers say Canada has the power to do more. “If Canada can’t get these wildfires under control, they need to face real consequences,” Rep. Calvin Callahan (WI) said in a Wednesday news release. “We won’t sit back while our air becomes a health hazard.”

Rep. John James (MI) wrote to Prime Minister Mark Carney last week about constituents affected by wildfire smoke. James noted, referencing a July letter from other House Republicans to Canadian Ambassador Kirsten Hillman, that the situation has worsened since then.

James stated that Kinew's second state of emergency "confirmed … that Canada is not doing nearly enough to stop these fires before they start."

U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra stated on August 5 that Canada's recent wildfires highlight the shared challenges of both countries. He noted that the U.S. is committed to supporting Canada, just as Canadians aided California during earlier wildfires.

Congressman Tom Tiffany, one of the signatories, told Rebel News that improper forest management is not just happening in Canada but parts of the U.S. too. Wildfire smoke from California and Washington has also impacted air quality in Western Canada.

Canada's 2023 wildfire season was devastating, causing hazardous air quality across North America, resulting in school closures, event cancellations, and a rise in hospitalizations. It had the most polluted air that year of any North American country, unveiled the 2023 IQAir World Air Quality Report.

"Wildfires in the summer of 2023 devastated air quality throughout not only Canada, but also the United States as well due to transboundary haze and air pollution that drifted across borders," Natasha Ganes, public relations manager for IQAir North America, told Fox News. 

This year, wildfires have burned 7.4 million hectares as of August 11, causing ongoing poor air quality in parts of Canada and the United States.