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Canadian Wildfires Send Smoke Across U.S., Prompting Widespread Health Advisories

Officials say fine particulate pollution will linger through midweek, urging sensitive populations to limit outdoor exposure.

US air quality warning: A person runs near the Stone Arch Bridge as a haze from Canadian wildfire smoke causes poor air quality in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., June 3, 2025. REUTERS/Tim Evans
Smoke rises from the Summit Lake wildfire G90413 west of Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada June 1, 2025 in an aerial photograph.  BC Wildfire/Handout via REUTERS.  THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY     TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
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Overview

  • Over 200 wildfires burn across Canada, with more than 100 classified as out of control and over 4.7 million acres scorched since May, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.
  • The blazes have displaced over 27,000 residents in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta under evacuation orders as crews work to contain the fires.
  • Thick smoke has triggered air quality alerts from the Upper Midwest—where some areas reached “very unhealthy” to “hazardous” levels—through Michigan and into parts of the Northeast and Great Plains.
  • The U.S. EPA and state health agencies warn that fine particulate matter can exacerbate asthma, COPD and cardiovascular conditions, recommending N95 masks and indoor air filtration.
  • High-altitude smoke plumes have crossed the Atlantic to Europe, where hazy skies and orange-tinged sunsets are expected without major ground-level pollution.