Ottawa, July 23 -- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Wednesday convened the federal government's Incident Response Group as wildfires intensified across the country, with hundreds of active fires burning and thousands of residents forced to evacuate.

The meeting brought together cabinet ministers and senior officials to assess the wildfire situation and coordinate the federal response as extreme heat and prolonged dry conditions fuel one of Canada's most severe wildfire seasons on record.

The federal government said it continues to work with the Ontario government and Indigenous leaders, including providing assistance in response to Ontario's request for federal support for air evacuations.

Canada wildfire smoke paints Toronto's s...