On Thursday, July 16, 2026, Canadian wildfires in northern Ontario produced dense smoke that spread into the United States, causing dangerously unhealthy air conditions for millions. The Manhattan skyline was obscured by thick haze, and Chicago closed its beaches as the smoke blanketed the region.

US states near the Canadian border such as Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois experienced particularly severe air pollution, with Chicago and Detroit ranking as the world's most polluted cities on Thursday evening according to tracker IQAir. New York City was also heavily affected, with state authorities warning that the smoke contained fine particulate matter deemed unhealthy for everyone across the New York metropolitan area and Long Island.

"This could become the most significant smoke event in New York City since 2023, and conditions will be closely monitored for any deterioration," said the city's Department of Emergency Management. In response to the hazardous air and heavy heat, libraries and train stations in New York offered free masks, and hundreds of cooling centers were opened for residents without air conditioning.

Erin Lucey, who works on her family's organic vegetable farm in south-central Wisconsin, described laborers wearing masks in muggy heat to filter out the smoky haze while harvesting crops. She remarked on the challenges posed by the smoke combined with recent heat waves and dry fields.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy forecasted that dangerous air conditions would persist through Friday, July 17, 2026, noting that their best smoke model predicts conditions only up to 48 hours ahead.

In Canada, the Ontario provincial police reported evacuations of 15 communities and surrounding areas due to the wildfires. Ontario Premier Doug Ford stated on social media that more than 150 fire crews and nearly 50 firefighting aircraft were working continuously to protect communities from the fires.

Sources