Wildfire smoke brings orange skies, dangerous air quality to millions in US
Canadian wildfire smoke from nearly 900 active fires is creating hazardous air quality and orange skies over the Midwest and Northeast Fox Weather Correspondent Katie Byrne reports live from Cleveland on the extensive smoke hitting major cities like New York, Boston and Washington DC, with emergency relief coming soon.
NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
A slow time in sports got even slower Thursday when some games on the schedule were changed due to air quality in the Northeast and Midwest.
Wildfires in Canada have affected air quality in these areas to the point where residents were encouraged to stay indoors and wear masks if they had to go out.
At least two sporting events were forced to be moved due to the air: an MLB game and an MLS game.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
A cyclist wears a mask as smoke from wildfires blankets Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Thursday, July 16, 2026. (Laura Proctor/Bloomberg)
Polish soccer star Robert Lewandowski was scheduled to make his MLS debut Thursday, but air quality forced the postponement of his Chicago Fire contest against the Vancouver Whitecaps.
The Philadelphia Phillies also announced about three hours before the scheduled first pitch that their game against the New York Mets, originally scheduled for 7:10 PM ET, was moved up an hour.
The National Women’s Soccer League played a game at Citi Field that became the most attended women’s sports competition in New York history, with 42,175 people attending Gotham FC’s game against the Washington Spirit at Citi Field. But Washington’s Trinity Rodman wasn’t happy with the game, which included two hydration breaks per game. half time.
A general view of Citi Field before the Queens Classic match between the Washington Spirit and Gotham FC in New York. (Brenden Willsch/Imagn Images)
EARTHQUAKE RAKES ICONIC NATIONAL PARK NEAR MASSIVE SUPERVOLCANO
“If we’re going to have a hydration break every 15 minutes, then we shouldn’t be playing the game, and that’s my opinion,” Rodman said. “But at the end of the day, there are 40,000 people. It’s a whole event, so it’s really tough. It’s just a really tough situation for everybody to work around.”
Three MLB games postponed in 2023 due to air quality issues in New York, Philadelphia and Washington, DC
Air quality in the tri-state area has been deemed “unhealthy,” perhaps adding a wrinkle to Sunday’s World Cup final at nearby MetLife Stadium. But it is expected to improve with time.
Because of the air quality, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said she “directed” NJ Transit and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority “to make select amounts of masks available to commuters and at rest areas along the Turnpike and Parkway.”
A general view of Citizens Bank Park under hazy conditions from the Canada Wildfires in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The game between the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Phillies was postponed due to unsafe air quality. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE Pakinomist APP
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged residents to “stay cool” and “drink plenty of water.”
