Hazy skies blanket US cities as Canadian wildfire rages

Due to Canada’s raging wildfires, a thick haze has been cast over major cities triggering air quality alerts across multiple states.

This marked New York City as the 7th most polluted major city on August 6, 2025, prompting warnings for children, elderly, and those who are vulnerable due to asthma, allergies, and respiratory or heart conditions to limit outdoor exposure.

Earlier, on August 4, 2025, the Air Quality Index of New York City reached 123 while Buffalo, NY recorded an unhealthy 152.

Currently, Canada is battling at least 760 active wildfires. As reported by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, among them, around 205 are uncontrolled fires. Due to this, more than 16.8 million acres have been scorched this year. This marks 2025 wildfire season as the country’s worst on record.

The smoke has affected the Plains, the Midwest, and the Northeast the most. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has labeled air quality in these regions as highly unsuitable for sensitive groups, with major cities such as Chicago, Detroit, and Pittsburgh experiencing reduced visibility and poor air quality.

IQAir has also issued the list of cities in the Midwest, Northern East Coast, and in Canada including:

• Albany, New York
• Buffalo, New York
• Chicago, Illinois
• Cleveland, Ohio
• Eau Claire, Wisconsin
• Flin Flon, Manitoba
• Flint, Michigan
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
• Hartford, Connecticut
• London, Ontario
• Marquette, Michigan
• Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• New Haven, Connecticut
• Newark, New Jersey
• Owen Sound, Ontario
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Rochester, New York
• Syracuse, New York
• Traverse City, Michigan
• Wausau, Wisconsin
• Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued air quality alerts for Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.

Health officials have advised staying indoors, utilising air purifiers, and wearing N95 masks when outside.