Overview

• More than 200 wildfires, over half deemed “out of control,” have scorched nearly 1.9 million hectares across Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
• Evacuation orders have displaced over 27,000 residents and prompted military airlifts in Manitoba and Saskatchewan while major oil sands producers have halted output in Alberta.
• Air quality alerts span from Minnesota—where statewide warnings run through Wednesday—to the San Francisco Bay Area and Gulf Coast, with Ely and Duluth recording “hazardous” AQI levels.
• Health officials warn that fine particulate matter can exacerbate respiratory and cardiovascular conditions, and Minneapolis hospitals have seen an uptick in asthma and COPD cases.
• High-altitude smoke plumes have reached Europe’s upper atmosphere, prompting hazy skies, and forecasts indicate U.S. air quality impacts may persist through midweek.