Canadian Wildfires Trigger Hazardous Air Quality Across Parts of the U.S.

More than 800 wildfires are burning across Canada, with smoke spreading south and prompting air quality alerts across parts of the United States.

Poor air quality in the Niagara region as wildfires actively burned across Canada. (Photo: Gogerr, Wikimedia Commons)

Smoke has shrouded skylines from Toronto and Detroit to New York City and across New England, resulting in hazardous air quality alerts throughout much of the region, Chris Fawkes, Rachel Flynn, and Nadine Yousif reported for BBC News.

Many outdoor events were cancelled as health officials urged residents to remain indoors because of the risks associated with prolonged smoke exposure.

In northern Ontario, one wildfire forced First Nations communities to evacuate, with one Indigenous leader saying her community had been "burned to ashes."

Hazardous air quality alerts have been issued for several cities, including Chicago; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Pittsburgh; and Toledo, Ohio, according to the U.S. Air Quality Index program.

Numerous outdoor activities, including children's summer camp events, were cancelled, while beaches along popular lakes were temporarily closed.

An outdoor concert by the rock band The Black Keys in Chicago was also rescheduled because of the hazardous air quality.

According to the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System, 858 wildfires were actively burning across Canada as of Thursday, including 30 newly reported fires. Most of the fires remained out of control.