Smoke from Canadian forest fire could be seen up to New York
The effects of the forest fire in Canada’s largest city Toronto are visible even in America. By Wednesday morning, Toronto was included in the top list of countries in the world where air quality is at the worst level. The smoke is moving towards America. Canadian meteorologist Brian Ovsiak says, due to smoke, the level of pollution in the air has increased rapidly. At present, the air quality of Friday morning may remain the same. Meanwhile, the FIFA Fan Festival, Nathan Phillips Square and watch parties for the Argentina-England match at the University of Toronto were also canceled due to the air quality alert.
Its impact can be seen even in America in the videos and pictures going viral on social media. A massive forest fire has spread dense smoke and haze across North America. According to the National Weather Service, many more major cities in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic may be affected in the coming days. Now the question is how is the smoke from Canadian forest fires reaching America?
How does smoke travel so far?
According to Canada’s Interagency Forest Fire Centre, there are more than 836 forest fires, out of which 194 are completely out of control. Most of the fires are in the Northwest Territories, Ontario and Quebec areas. There have been about 3,500 fires in Canada this summer that have burned more than 48 lakh acres of forest. Let us understand how its impact is reaching America.
Canadian forest fire.
A special process of meteorology works behind the smoke traveling so far. When a forest fire occurs, hot air and smoke rise upward and reach the higher layers of the atmosphere. There this smoke gets trapped in the jet stream i.e. fast flowing winds. This jet stream carries the smoke hundreds of thousands of kilometers away.
As of July 15, 2026, multiple wildfires continue to burn across northwestern Ontario, Canada, threatening communities and producing widespread smoke.
More than 100 active wildfires are burning across the region, with numerous fires remaining out of control due to extreme heat,
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) July 15, 2026
According to Fox Weather Forecast Center, due to a major change in wind direction, a dense cloud of smoke entered the lower 48 states of America. Meteorologists say that this time another major reason for the spread of smoke is the heat dome built in the central part of America, which along with the fire in Ontario has further intensified the spread of smoke.
Ontario Canada Wildfires Rage 🔥 Train Engulfed in Flames Near Armstrong as 148 Fires Force Evacuationspic.twitter.com/EGsuqATPHZ
— TaraBull (@TaraBull) July 15, 2026
The maximum effect of smoke is visible where it comes close to the ground. According to the Fox Forecast Center, most of the smoke remains high in the atmosphere, but it can also descend close to the ground for a few hours, causing extremely poor air quality.
Smoke spread everywhere, the photo was taken from the Empire State Building in New York. Photo: x/@GaryHershorn
Why is rising smoke deadly?
The most dangerous thing present in forest fire smoke is PM2.5, i.e. very fine particles. These particles are so small that they can reach deep into the lungs and dissolve in the blood, which can aggravate or cause heart and lung diseases. These cause cough, throat irritation and difficulty in breathing.
Smoke from wildfires in Canada is shrouding the view of Manhattan from the Empire State Building, Wednesday evening in New York City #newyork #newyorkcity #nyc #wildfires pic.twitter.com/L1uB9gkXMw
— Gary Hershorn (@GaryHershorn) July 15, 2026
Prolonged exposure to smoke also increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. This is why health officials are advising people to avoid excessive physical activity outside, keep doors and windows closed and use ACs with good filters.
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