The Latest Breaking News on Rain to dull fire threat as warning sounded for air quality risks

A new study finds that smoke from massive wildfires has eroded about a quarter of the air quality gains from the last few decades.

Canada’s seemingly endless wildfires in 2023 introduced millions of people across North America to the health hazards of wildfire smoke. While Western states have contended with smoky fire seasons for years, the air quality alerts across the U.S. Midwest and Northeast this summer reached levels never seen there before.

Centers for Disease Control studies increased asthma-related ER visits by 17% nationwide during 19 of the smokiest days. On the worst air quality day in New York state, those visits spiked 82%.

Three studies show smoke from Canadian wildfires led to a spike in people with asthma visiting emergency rooms in the United States