Overview

• Over 212 active wildfires in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta have consumed more than 2 million hectares, with roughly half of the blazes out of control.
• Smoke plumes stretching from the Dakotas and Ohio Valley into New England and as far south as Georgia have enveloped about one-third of the United States.
• Air quality alerts cover at least six states, including New York, Michigan, Maine and Minnesota, advising residents to avoid strenuous outdoor exertion.
• Environmental health experts warn that fine, toxic particles in wildfire smoke can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, heightening risks for all and especially for children, the elderly and those with respiratory conditions.
• More than 27,000 Canadians have been evacuated from fire-affected communities and key assets such as firefighting bases and oil production facilities are under threat from advancing flames.