Smoke won’t stay north: How Canada’s wildfires could impact the US

The smoke coming from more than 210 fires burning in Canada is affecting those in the north and impacting neighbors to the south. — Image credit: Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2025 via Getty Images

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Summary

Warning

Scientists warn that the heavy smoke visible in the Midwest from hundreds of wildfires in Canada is likely to become the new normal as wildfires become more frequent due to climate change.

Climate change

Environmental experts believe that with hotter and drier conditions, wildfires will become more abundant and little is needed to start a fire in drought conditions, as a strike of lightning often sparks them.

Impact

Wildfires are likely to impact populations beyond their general area, having a harmful effect on air quality and leading to health problems associated with the inhalation of wildfire smoke.

Full story

There’s a haze in the sky across a large portion of the Midwest. The smoke coming from more than 210 fires burning in Canada, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center, on Friday, June 6. The fires are affecting those in the north and impacting neighbors to the south.

Canadians flee

Tens of thousands of Canadians have been forced to flee their homes as many wildfires rage out of control, and air quality in the United States is dropping rapidly.

The latest information

According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s AirNow webpage, air quality is listed as moderate to unhealthy, from as far south as Kansas and Nebraska to as far north as Maine. The EPA warns that wildfire smoke can cause respiratory problems and potentially lead to lung or sinus infections.

What scientists are saying

Scientists say that failing to stay up to date on the latest conditions can put people at risk without them even realizing it. They advise people to wear respirator masks in regions where conditions are unhealthy or to avoid the outdoors altogether if possible.

While Canada is off to another historic start to wildfire season, similar to 2023, scientists warn that fires will worsen with climate change. That includes the smoke that lingers for days in communities far beyond the borders of the fires.

Unbiased. Straight Facts.^TM

As of Friday, June 6, 210 active fires are burning throughout Canada, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center.

Where the smoke burns

As wildfires burn, with nearly 70 alone in British Columbia, across Canada, some in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan are experiencing some of the worst smoke conditions in the United States from the fires. While the fires are harming Canadians the most, vacationers in the United States are also feeling the impact. Paige Fischer, who was traveling to Traverse City from Ann Arbor, told NPR that as she left her home this week, she noticed the smoke from the raging wildfires was already making its way into her town.

“Even though I study this, I haven’t completely caught up in terms of planning ahead to make sure there’s good filtration systems where I’m staying,” said Fischer, a professor of environmental sustainability at the University of Michigan. “But I definitely have masks with me.”

More wildfires likely

Fischer warns that as rising temperatures and droughts worsen due to climate change, the problem is likely to get worse, making it more difficult to adapt to the smoke.

“Wildfires are happening more frequently. They’re getting bigger. They’re emitting more smoke,” Fischer told NPR. “The climate models are projecting that we’re going to have more frequent, more severe wildfires.”

Others warn of climate change consequences

She is not the only one sending out the warning. Lori Daniels, an ecologist specializing in forestry and a professor at the University of British Columbia, also spoke with NPR. She specifically studies wildfires. Daniels said, “Smoke knows no political boundaries– and neither does fire. The wind patterns have taken that smoke kind of from the northwest across a big diagonal. Daniels added, “And that’s why you’re getting so much smoke down in the United States.”

As in 2023, wildfires from the same areas of Canada that are now experiencing new fires brought heavy smoke into the Midwest and beyond. Smoke that lingered for days on end prompted air advisories. Daniels cautions that the consequences are catastrophic and widespread.

“We are again having a remarkable start to the fire season here in Canada,” said Daniels. “Like the U.S., we’ve been struggling with these really mega fires that have huge consequences for our ecosystems and for our human communities… we’re struggling with this, not just in Canada and the United States, but worldwide.”

Canada experienced impacts from US wildfires as well

Daniels notes that while Canada is currently experiencing wildfires, it was only roughly five years ago that the California wildfires impacted Canadians. She said the smoke from those fires blew into Canada, prompting concerns about air quality similar to the ones Americans in the Midwest are experiencing today. Daniels said they were the worst air quality conditions ever recorded in Vancouver due to wildfires in the Golden State in 2020.

However, Daniels said she empathizes with Americans experiencing the negative impact of wildfires from Canada and said, “We’re sorry about the smoke.”

Alex Delia (Deputy Managing Editor) and Emma Stoltzfus (Video Editor) contributed to this report.

Tags: air quality, California, Canada, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, Fire, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Midwest, Minnesota, Nebraska, United States, Vancouver, Wildfire, Wisconsin

AS MORE THAN 2-HUNDRED WILDFIRES RAGE IN CANADA, SCIENTISTS HAVE A WARNING FOR PEOPLE IN THE U-S DEALING WITH THE SMOKE FROM THE FIRES. GET USED TO IT, BECAUSE THE PROBLEM ISN’T GOING AWAY ANYTIME SOON.

IN FACT, IT’S LIKELY TO GET WORSE.

SCIENTISTS STUDYING THE ENVIRONMENT TELL N-P-R AS TEMPERATURES RISE AND DRYER CONDITIONS BECOME MORE PREVALENT… MORE WILDFIRES WILL IGNITE.

RIGHT NOW– NEARLY 70 WILDFIRES ARE BURNING IN BRITISH COLUMBIA ALONE AND THE FIRES TO OUR NORTH HAVE FORCED TENS OF THOUSANDS TO FLEE.

THE SMOKE FROM THE FIRES HAVE PROMPTED HEALTH ALERTS IN THE MIDWEST AND AIR QUALITY FROM THE EDGE OF KANSAS TO THE TIP OF MAINE IS LISTED AS MODERATE TO UNHEALTHY, ACCORDING TO THE E-P-A’S AIR-NOW WEBPAGE.

DOCTORS SAY WILDFIRE SMOKE CAN CAUSE RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS— EVEN IN HEALTHY PEOPLE AND LEAD TO SERIOUS LUNG OR SINUS INFECTIONS. THEY URGE PEOPLE IN AREAS WHERE AIR QUALITY IS POOR DUE TO WILDFIRE SMOKE TO STAY INDOORS WHEN POSSIBLE.

THE SCENES ARE REMINISCENT FROM THE CANADIAN WILDFIRES OF 2023. WHEN SMOKE BLEW INTO LARGE PORTIONS OF THE U-S AND THE HAZE LINGERED FOR DAYS.

ECOLOGISTS SAY THIS MAY BECOME THE NEW NORMAL. THOSE IN CANADA ALSO NOTE, THEY’RE IMPACTED BY WILDFIRE SMOKE FROM THE U-S AS MUCH AS WE ARE FROM THEM.

IN 2020, YOU MAY REMEMBER, SMOKE FROM THE CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES LED TO POOR AIR QUALITY IN CANADA. SCIENTISTS SAY IT LED TO THE WORST AIR-QUALITY READING EVER-RECORDED IN VANCOVER. STILL, ONE CANADIAN SCIENTIST TELLS N-P-R SHE SYMPATHIZES WITH AMERICANS DEALING WITH THE PROBLEM.

HER MESSAGE TO US: “WE’RE SORRY FOR THE SMOKE.”

Why this story matters

Wildfires in Canada are producing widespread smoke that has degraded air quality across parts of the United States and even reached Europe, highlighting the cross-border impacts of extreme weather events, the health risks associated with air pollution, and the growing challenge of managing wildfires in a changing climate.

Transboundary air pollution

The movement of wildfire smoke from Canada to the U.S. and Europe illustrates how environmental events in one country can have direct consequences for air quality and public health in distant regions.

Public health concerns

Officials and health experts are warning that increased particulate matter in the air from wildfire smoke can aggravate respiratory and cardiovascular conditions, posing risks especially to vulnerable populations.

Climate change and wildfire intensity

Multiple sources, including scientists and government agencies, link the frequency and severity of wildfires to climate change, suggesting that such events and their global impacts may become more common and challenging to manage.

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Synthesized coverage insights across 296 media outlets

Behind the numbers

Air quality index (AQI) values in affected U.S. regions ranged from 150 to over 250, which is categorized as unhealthy to very unhealthy by the Environmental Protection Agency. Over 27,000 people in Canada have been evacuated, and more than 200 active wildfires are burning. The smoke has been tracked as far as Europe, affecting sky visibility but not ground-level air quality there.

Community reaction

Communities have implemented various safety measures in response to poor air quality. Local schools in affected U.S. towns have kept children indoors, and health officials in both the U.S. and Canada are urging residents to limit outdoor activities. Hospitals in cities like Minneapolis have noted increased visits related to respiratory issues, while emergency shelters have been established for evacuees in Canada.

Context corner

Wildfire seasons have historically impacted Canada and the U.S., but experts note the 2023 and 2025 fire seasons as exceptionally severe. Factors such as drought, early snowmelt, and climate patterns are cited as major contributors. Some reports reference the 2023 season, which burned record acreage and had widespread international effects, providing context for the current situation’s scale.

Sources

Bias comparison

Media outlets on the left foreground the severe health risks and social isolation caused by the wildfire smoke, using emotionally charged terms like "very unhealthy," "apocalyptic summer," and highlighting vulnerable populations’ struggles, thus framing the crisis as an urgent public health and climate emergency.
Not enough coverage from media outlets in the center to provide a bias comparison.
Media outlets on the right de-emphasize the health impact’s immediacy, often downplaying risk with phrasing such as "won’t affect residents how you think," while still acknowledging expansive air alerts and wildfire severity but with a more skeptical or cautionary tone toward alarmism.

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Media landscape

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296 total sources

Key points from the Left

Smoke from Canadian wildfires caused very unhealthy air quality in parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
More than 27,000 Canadians in three provinces have been forced to evacuate due to ongoing wildfires, which have also affected air quality in the U.S.
Canada's wildfires are so intense that smoke has reached Europe, creating hazy skies but not affecting surface air quality, as reported by Copernicus.
Hospitals in the affected areas are seeing increased respiratory issues among patients, with Dr. Rachel Strykowski advising people to stay indoors or wear N95 masks for protection.

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Key points from the Center

On Tuesday, May 27, 2025, Canada faced 208 active wildfires, half of which were out of control, affecting multiple provinces including Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
These fires follow an early and intense wildfire season fueled by a severe drought and reduced spring snowpack that accelerated soil drying.
The fires forced evacuations of over 27,000 residents, including 2,500 in La Ronge, disrupted oil production in Alberta, and produced heavy smoke engulfing parts of Canada and the US Midwest.
European climate service Copernicus reported that smoke plumes traveled as far as Europe, causing hazy skies but no immediate health risks due to their high altitude.
Officials warned of very poor air quality, advised limiting outdoor activities, and prepared for more challenging days ahead due to the fires' ongoing spread and pollution output.

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See Hide headlines from Center sources 107 sources

Key points from the Right

Smoke from Canadian wildfires has caused very unhealthy air quality in parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, with alerts issued statewide by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Over 27,000 Canadians have been evacuated due to the wildfires, with significant displacements reported in Manitoba, including 5,000 from Flin Flon.
The smoke has spread as far as Europe, creating hazy skies but not impacting surface air quality, according to the European climate service Copernicus.
Officials warn that air quality will remain unhealthy, particularly affecting those with respiratory conditions, as the wildfires continue throughout Canada.

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