wildfire smoke

Health & Safety

Here's who is most at risk from wildfire smoke and how to protect yourself

6:00am July 27, 2024

by Ginny Graves

As hazy air from fires out West wafts across the country, some people are at higher risk of health problems, including children, older people and those with lung conditions. Here's how to stay safe.

Smoky haze from wildfires in Canada obscures New York City's Empire State Building this year. The air in the U.S. has improved over the past 50 years, but smoke pollution from growing wildfires erodes much of that progress.

How wildfire smoke is erasing years of progress toward cleaning up America's air

8:45pm September 20, 2023

by Alejandra Borunda

A new study finds that smoke from massive wildfires has eroded about a quarter of the air quality gains from the last few decades.

The Statue of Liberty is seen June 7 through a haze-filled sky from the Staten Island Ferry in New York. The smoke from Canadian wildfires that drifted into the U.S. led to a spike in people with asthma visiting emergency rooms — particularly in the New York area.

Smoke from Canadian wildfires sent more asthma sufferers to the emergency room

12:10pm August 25, 2023

by The Associated Press

Centers for Disease Control studies increased asthma-related ER visits by 17% nationwide during 19 of the smokiest days. On the worst air quality day in New York state, those visits spiked 82%.

Poor air quality triggered orange, red and purple alerts over a large chunk of the U.S. on Thursday, as seen in this map published by the federal air quality site AirNow at 7 a.m. ET.

A big swath of the U.S. is under red and purple air quality alerts from Canada's smoke

3:04pm June 29, 2023

by Bill Chappell

In Madison, Wis., the air quality was measured at 242 Thursday morning— a "very unhealthy" purple alert rating that many other communities shared, particularly in the Midwest.

Smoky air is filled with microscopic flakes of particulate matter that can get into the lungs and even into the blood stream.

Staying safe in smoky air is particularly important for some people. Here's how

2:17pm June 09, 2023

Much of the Northeast U.S. is blanketed in a murky haze of wildfire smoke. For most people breathing this air is unpleasant, for others it can be life-threatening. There are ways to reduce the risk.

Queue Listen Now

Christina Lamoureux and her fiancé, Brian Fritzsche, have been planning their wedding since January 2021. Now they may have to scramble to avoid the wildfire smoke from Canada that's drifted into the U.S. across the Northeast and Midwest.

National

Blankets of orange haze may be unwelcomed guests at weddings this weekend in the U.S.

1:26pm June 09, 2023

by Vanessa Romo

Christina Lamoureux planned a perfect wedding. Now she is among the unlucky set of soon-to-be married couples frantically making contingency plans as clouds of polluted air linger over their nuptials.

Wildfire smoke filling the New York City skyline was a familiar sight to communities in the Western U.S., who have had to learn to live with the effects of more extreme fires.

Environment

3 lessons from the Western U.S. for dealing with wildfire smoke

1:23pm June 09, 2023

by Lauren Sommer

How bad does the air get inside your house? What should schools do about recess? Western states have grappled with all that before.

A person cycles past the skyline in Philadelphia shrouded in haze on Thursday.

When will air quality improve? A lot is riding on the wind

3:09pm June 08, 2023

by Rachel Treisman

Millions of Americans are under air quality alerts as wildfires burn in Canada. Experts say the weather pattern could change by early next week, and stress the need to take precautions until then.

In early September 2020, Seattle, Wash., had some of the worst air quality in the world because of wildfire smoke. The city was among the first to create smoke shelters for the most vulnerable.

Study Finds Wildfire Smoke More Harmful To Humans Than Pollution From Cars

5:05pm March 05, 2021

by Nathan Rott

In Southern California, pollutants from wildfire smoke caused up to a 10% increase in hospital admissions. Researchers say there's a need for better air monitoring and public health programs.

Smoke blankets Mill City, Oregon, which was evacuated for days following the nearby Beachie Creek Fire.

Smoky Skies Are The New Normal. Are They Making Us Sick?

7:14am October 09, 2020

by Nathan Rott

Scientists know that tiny particles from smoke can be inhaled deep into a person's lungs and even enter the bloodstream. But the long-term health effects of this are not fully understood.