Smoke from hundreds of wildfires burning across Canada has spread into the United States, prompting widespread air quality alerts across several northern states as officials warn residents to limit outdoor activity.

According to the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System, 858 wildfires are currently active across the country, including 30 new blazes reported on Thursday. Most of the fires remain out of control.

The largest concentration of fires is in northwestern Ontario, where thick smoke has blanketed communities including Thunder Bay and Toronto. Higher-altitude smoke has also drifted across the Great Lakes and into parts of New York, creating hazy skies and producing unusually red sunrises and sunsets.

The smoke has pushed air quality to hazardous levels across parts of Michigan and Minnesota, with the US Air Quality Index advising residents to stay indoors where possible. Air quality alerts also extend across the Upper Midwest, the Great Lakes region and into the northeastern United States.

In western New York, air quality has reached “very unhealthy” levels, while conditions across the New York City metropolitan area have been classified as “unhealthy.” On Wednesday, city officials expanded heat emergency measures and activated air quality emergency protocols, opening hundreds of cooling centres and distributing KN95 masks to residents.

Forecasters say thunderstorms are expected across parts of Ontario over the coming days, although the rainfall is unlikely to significantly slow the spread of the fires.

Northwesterly winds are forecast to continue carrying wildfire smoke into the northern United States through the weekend, raising concerns that haze could reach New Jersey ahead of Sunday’s World Cup final.

Meteorologists expect a shift in wind direction by Monday, which should redirect much of the smoke toward Quebec and gradually improve air quality across the northeastern United States.

France’s National Assembly has approved landmark legislation to legalise assisted dying under strict conditions, marking a significant step after years of political debate and repeated revisions to the proposal.

Lawmakers voted 291 to 241 in favour of the bill, which had previously been rejected three times by the Senate, France’s upper house of parliament.

The legislation will now undergo a constitutional review after Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said parts of the bill would be referred to France’s Constitutional Council before it can become law.

Under the proposed legislation, assisted dying would be available to adults suffering from a serious and incurable life-threatening illness in an advanced or terminal stage. Eligible patients would also need to be experiencing constant physical or psychological suffering that is considered unbearable or cannot be relieved through treatment.

Patients seeking assisted dying would be required to make a voluntary request to a doctor, who would have up to 15 days to assess the application following consultations with other medical professionals.

After a mandatory two-day reflection period, the patient would be expected to administer the prescribed lethal medication themselves. If they are physically unable to do so, a doctor or nurse would be permitted to assist. The attending physician would also be required to confirm the patient’s decision on the day the procedure takes place.

The vote moves France closer to joining a growing number of European countries that have legalised some form of assisted dying.

The issue continues to generate debate across Europe. In the United Kingdom, proposed legislation to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales has been delayed and is expected to return to Parliament later this year.

The Netherlands and Belgium legalised assisted dying in 2002 for patients experiencing unbearable suffering caused by incurable illnesses, while several other European nations have since introduced similar laws. Switzerland has also long permitted assisted suicide, provided the person offering assistance does not act out of self-interest.

Thai authorities are investigating whether negligence contributed to the devastating fire that tore through a Bangkok bar, as the death toll has risen to 30.

Investigators are examining reports that emergency exits were locked and that highly flammable decorations inside the venue accelerated the spread of the blaze, which erupted near the stage late on Sunday.

Police General Kittiratt Phanphet said initial findings point to serious safety failures, describing the conditions inside the venue as evidence of “a lack of caution and disregard for the safety of the patrons.”

Emergency responders found many of the victims in the bar’s restrooms, where investigators believe they had sought refuge after attempting to escape the flames but were unable to get out.

Authorities said 27 of the victims had been formally identified by Tuesday morning. More than 70 people were injured in the fire, with 24 remaining in critical condition.

Preliminary investigations suggest the blaze was triggered by an electrical short circuit in an air conditioning unit, which quickly caused a power outage throughout the building.

Fire safety expert Busakorn Saensuk, from the Engineering Institute of Thailand, said an inspection of Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao found that a door near the restrooms was locked, while the venue’s main entrance was partially blocked by furniture and other obstacles.

She said patrons would naturally have fled away from the flames towards the rear of the building, only to find themselves trapped.

Busakorn also noted that emergency exit signs were not illuminated and said functioning signage could have helped people locate and open an escape route.

Investigators further found that the stage was decorated with highly flammable materials, including plastic flowers, while combustible foam had been used across the ceiling, allowing the fire to spread rapidly.

Survivors described the stage becoming engulfed in flames within seconds. Thai indie band Thotsakan, which was performing when the blaze broke out, confirmed that two of its members were among those killed.