Wildfires have burned a record of 20 million acres across Canada so far this year, with no end in sight. There are currently 500 active wildfires throughout the country and more than 250 have been deemed out of control, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center. The smoke has been making its way to the U.S. for over a month.
Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Jun 29, 2023, 8:03 AM EDT
Wildfire smoke forecast to dissipate by the weekend
The Canadian wildfire smoke drifting into the United States is expected to largely dissipate by the weekend.
By Friday morning, the smoke is forecast to linger in the eastern Great Lakes from Detroit to Ohio, Pennsylvania, western New York state, down to Virginia and the Carolinas.
New York City is not expected to see much smoke, but skies over the Big Apple could still be a bit hazy due to the nearby plumes.
By Friday evening, the smoke will really begin to diminish in the East with lingering effects from New York to the Carolinas.
Smoke from Canadian wildfires is forecast to linger over the eastern Great Lakes from Detroit to Ohio, Pennsylvania, western New York state, down to Virginia and the Carolinas by the morning of June 30, 2023.
ABC News
Jun 29, 2023, 7:28 AM EDT
23 US states under air quality alerts as wildfire smoke blankets Midwest, rolls into Northeast
As of Thursday morning, 23 U.S. states are under air quality alerts from the Midwest to parts of the South and into the Northeast where wildfire smoke from neighboring Canada is creating hazy skies.
The worst-affected areas are currently from Wisconsin down to Tennessee and up to Virginia and even parts of Pennsylvania.
Twenty-three U.S. states were under air quality alerts on the morning of June 29, 2023, due to smoke from wildfires in neighboring Canada.
ABC News
As the day develops, plumes of smoke are expected to linger over the Great Lakes, the Ohio Valley and into the Appalachian Mountains. Some smoke might even make its way into the Mid-Atlantic and parts of New Jersey.
New York City will be largely spared from the heaviest smoke. An air quality alert was issued there only as a precaution. Most of the day will be sunny with perhaps a touch of haze due to the smoke nearby.
Smoke from Canadian wildfires will linger over the Great Lakes, the Ohio Valley and into the Appalachian Mountains by the evening of June 29, 2023.
ABC News
Jun 29, 2023, 5:20 AM EDT
Videos show Canadian wildfire smoke casting haze over US cities
Videos verified by ABC News show smoke from Canada's wildfires casting a haze over several U.S. cities on Wednesday.
One video, taken by a driver and posted on Twitter, shows the wildfire smoke hanging over a highway near Lawrenceburg, Indiana, as the state and much of the Midwest were under air quality alerts.
Lawrenceburg is located some 100 miles southeast of Indianapolis, near the state border with Ohio and Kentucky. The city is about 25 miles west of Cincinnati, Ohio.
-ABC News' Matthew Holroyd
Jun 28, 2023, 6:05 PM EDT
Over 100 million Americans under air quality alerts
Air quality alerts remain in effect for more than 100 million Americans across the Midwest and into the Northeast Wednesday evening, as wildfire smoke from neighboring Canada blankets large swaths of the United States.
Air quality alerts remain in effect for more than 100 million Americans across the Midwest into the Northeast Wednesday evening.
ABC News
Hard-hit Chicago, Detroit and Minneapolis remain among the top five places in the world with the worst air quality as of Wednesday evening.
Near-surface smoke is expected to stretch from Wisconsin to Kentucky and into the Carolinas Wednesday evening.
ABC News
The near-surface smoke is expected to stretch from Wisconsin to Kentucky and into the Carolinas Wednesday evening. Some of the smoke will likely make its way into the mid-Atlantic overnight. Pittsburgh to Syracuse are forecast to see hazy, smoky skies and poor air quality Wednesday night.
Near-surface smoke is expected to move east through Thursday.
ABC News
Through Thursday, the smoke is expected to move out of the Midwest and linger farther east but not be as heavy. No significant smoke issues are forecast at this time for major Northeast cities, including New York City.
