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Satellite footage shows Canadian wildfire smoke spreading over northern US
A timelapse from satellite imagery shows wildfire smoke from Canada drifting into parts of the U.S. on the morning of Thursday, July 31. (Credit: CSU/CIRA & NOAA via Storyful)
Smoke from the Canadian wildfires has caused the midwestern and northeastern U.S. to have some of the worst air quality in the world, according to IQAir.
According to the air quality index, Detroit has the third-worst air quality as of August 4, ranking behind Baghdad and Kinshasa.
The sun is shrouded by smoke from wildfires in Canada as it rises behind the skyline of midtown Manhattan, the Chrysler Building and Empire State Building in New York City on June 11, 2025, as seen from Jersey City, New Jersey. (Photo by Gary Hersho …
How the Canadian wildfires impact the US
Big picture view:
According to FOX Weather, the fires burning in Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba have been ongoing all summer, and they have sent smoke into the U.S. on multiple occasions so far.
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The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre reports there are over 700 active fires burning in Canada, of which 500 are burning out of control. So far, the fires have burned over 16 million acres, according to the outlet.
FOX Weather also reports the smoke is coming south out of Canada courtesy of northerly winds behind the cold front, which is slicing through the eastern half of the country.
What is the air quality index?
Dig deeper:
The Switzerland-based air quality monitoring database IQAir, which assesses air quality in real time, listed the city of Minneapolis as having some of the worst air pollution in the world since Friday. The Air Quality Index (AQI) was expected to reach the red or unhealthy category in a large swath of Minnesota.
AQI is a system used to communicate how much air pollution is in the air. It breaks pollution down into six categories and colors, along with advice on what is and is not safe to do. They range from "good" (the color green) to "hazardous" (maroon).
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The EPA’s Air Quality Index converts all pollutant levels into a single number. The lower the number, the better. Anything below 50 is classified as "healthy." Fifty to 100 is "moderate" while 100-150 is unhealthy for "sensitive groups." Anything above 150 is bad for everyone.
What you can do:
Health officials advise people with asthma and other lung disease, heart disease, children and older adults to avoid prolonged exposure to smoke and limit strenuous activities. They said to avoid burning things that could make the air pollution worse and to keep windows and doors closed.
The Source: The story’s info comes from IQAir for air quality data, FOX Weather for wildfire and smoke reports, and the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre for fire stats. AQI details come from the EPA. The Associated Press contributed. This story was reported from Los Angeles.