Wildfires expose millions in the Midwest and Northeast US to dangerous
smoke
[July 15, 2026]
By DORANY PINEDA and JACQUELINE GANUN
Heavy smoke from several large wildfires blazing in Canada and Minnesota
is expected to engulf large swaths of the Midwest and Northeast U.S.
this week, exposing millions of people to dangerous air pollution.
Minnesota officials issued an air quality alert from Tuesday through
Friday for areas including the Twin Cities metro area, Alexandria and
Two Harbors, with very heavy smoke expected across the state’s
northeastern corner as large wildfires spread. Air quality levels in Two
Harbors, the Tribal Nation of Grand Portage and other regions in
northeast Minnesota were expected to reach hazardous levels, making it
unsafe for everyone.
Dan Westervelt, associate professor at Columbia University’s Climate
School, said severe drought conditions combined with heat in Canada and
the U.S. have created “a perfect storm for really dry conditions to
provide a lot of fuel for these wildfires to burn.” Research shows
warming temperatures from burning coal, oil and gas are making fires
more frequent and intense.
People should stay indoors as much as possible to avoid the extreme
heat, especially as smoke moves in, said Tyler Hasenstein, meteorologist
with the National Weather Service in Chanhassen, Minnesota.
“Those two things coinciding with each other is not good from a health
perspective,” he said.
Officials in Michigan and Wisconsin warned residents Tuesday about air
quality issues that could last for days. High levels of fine particulate
matter in the air from wildfire smoke may be unhealthy for sensitive
groups, such as children and people with heart or lung conditions.
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Signage near the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' office
in Tower, Minn., notes extreme fire danger ,Tuesday, July 14, 2026.
(Anthony Soufflé/Minnesota Star Tribune via AP)
In parts of Maine, residents were reporting a yellowish and brownish
color in the sky. “There is plenty of smoke upstream, so expect periods
of hazy skies over the next day before the cold front pushes through,”
the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine, said on social media
Tuesday.
By Wednesday afternoon, intense smoke will spread into the East Coast
and Midwest, including parts of the New England coast, northern
Pennsylvania, Detroit and Milwaukee, Hasenstein said.
Multiple counties in western and central New York were under an air
quality advisory Wednesday until midnight. The most intense smoke could
spread as far south as Washington, D.C., by midday Thursday, Hasenstein
said.
Fine particle pollution from wildfire smoke can cause shortness of
breath, coughing, dizziness or fatigue and aggravate heart and lung
diseases and other chronic health issues. Experts suggest reducing or
eliminating outdoor activities, wearing a N95 mask if you have to be
outside and keeping your indoor air cleaner by closing windows and
running an air purifier or air conditioner. Long term, exposure to fine
particulate matter from wildfire smoke is one of the leading causes of
premature death.
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