According to AFP, on July 16 (local time), smoke from out-of-control forest fires in Canada covered many areas of the United States. Canada's border states such as Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois are most severely affected. Air quality in the Northeast region, including New York City, is also continuing to decline.
According to the IQAir air monitoring system measured on the evening of July 16, Chicago and Detroit are the two most polluted cities in the world. New York is also in the group with very poor air quality.
Smoke from fires covers New York, the most populous city in the United States. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani warned that the city is facing a serious threat from intense heat combined with dangerous air quality. The government has distributed free masks at libraries, train stations and opened hundreds of heat shelters for people.
The New York City Emergency Response Agency said that this could become the most severe smog in New York since 2023. At that time, New York's sky turned strangely orange when the air quality index (AQI) jumped to a dangerous level of 465.
According to data from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the AQI index in the Midwest region on July 16 far exceeded the above level. Chicago, Toledo city in Ohio and many areas in Minnesota near where the fire occurred recorded AQI exceeding 700 in the afternoon.
Michigan state officials said that the dangerous pollution situation is expected to last until the end of July 17 and noted that the smoke forecasting model can only forecast for 48 hours. Therefore, it is likely that smoke will still exist and continue to spread in the area for a while.
Not only the US, the Canadian city of Toronto is also facing serious air pollution.
Data as of July 16 shows that more than 130 forest fires are continuing in Ontario province in eastern Canada, bordering the United States, of which at least 60 fires are out of control.
The Ontario government has asked the government for additional support, especially in evacuating people from remote communities by helicopter.
Ontario Provincial Police said that 15 communities and surrounding areas have been evacuated.
More than 150 teams and nearly 50 firefighting aircraft are working day and night to protect people from wildfires in northern Ontario," Chief Minister Doug Ford posted on X.
Since the beginning of the year, wildfires in Canada have burned down at least 1.9 million hectares, almost equal to the area of Slovenia. However, this number is still much lower than the record wildfire season of 2023, when nearly 18 million hectares of forest across Canada were destroyed by fire.
