Headline

Wildfires in Canada Prompt Air Quality Alerts in the US

Motorists wait for a red light on westbound 18th Avenue at Park Avenue as smoke shrouds the skyline Friday, May 19, 2023, in downtown Denver. Smoke from numerous fires in the Canadian province of Alberta has rolled into Colorado Friday, giving Denver a ranking of third worst air quality of all major cities globally. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Education has issued an air quality health advisory alert as a result of the inflow of smoke across the Centennial State. (Credit: AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Smoke from dozens of raging wildfires in western Canada caused states across the northwestern US to issue air quality alerts over the weekend. Montana officials said that nearly the entire state was being impacted by the wildfire smoke on Sunday and enacted an air quality alert for over three dozen Montana counties. In Utah, residents were encouraged to avoid outdoor activities, and the smoke from the Canadian wildfires is expected to travel west to east across the US, impacting the northeast early this week. Research has found that climate change is leading to larger, more intense, and frequent wildfires, impacting air quality for communities around the world.

(ABC News, CNN, AP, NPR, Axios, New York Times $)

(Climate Signals: Wildfires)

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