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yesterday

Canadian Wildfires Send Hazardous Smoke Over U.S. Midwest and Northeast

Dense plumes from hundreds of out-of-control fires have forced health warnings and protective measures while forecasts say a wind shift could clear smoke but timing is uncertain.

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Plumes of smoke from the Camp Fire hang in the air over Moose Lake in Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness on Tuesday, July 14.
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Overview

  • Heavy smoke moved into the United States on Thursday, producing hazardous air-quality readings in multiple cities and reducing visibility across the Great Lakes and Northeast.
  • Canadian officials report roughly 850 active fires with more than two million hectares burned this season and many blazes listed as out of control.
  • Urban and state agencies opened cooling centers, handed out N95/KN95 masks at transit hubs, and advised children, the elderly and people with heart or lung conditions to stay indoors.
  • The smoke has disrupted and threatened sporting and public events, with organisers monitoring conditions for MLB games and the World Cup Final in nearby New Jersey.
  • Canada has mobilised more than 150 crews and nearly 50 aircraft and has requested additional federal air support, and forecasters say a forthcoming wind shift or cold front may clear surface smoke but recurrence is possible until fires are contained.