--- title: "Canada Is Hotboxing the United States Again" description: "Extreme wildfires continue to rage in Canada, sending another wave of dangerous smoke across the United States." date: "2023-06-30" modified: "2023-06-30" authors: - name: "Frank Landymore" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/flandymore" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/canada-hotboxing-united-states-again" categories: - "Climate Change" - "Environment" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "air quality" - "climate change" - "the digest" - "wildfires" --- # Canada Is Hotboxing the United States Again ![Devastating wildfires in Canada have continued to burn, and its smoke is already hitting the United States for a second wave this year.]() *WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 29: Wildfire smoke casts a haze over the National Mall on June 29, 2023 in Washington, DC. The Washington DC region is under a "Code Red" air quality alert today due to smoke from Canadian wildfires. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) \Image: Drew Angerer/Getty Images\* ## Back Again Earlier in June, US cities across the east coast were visited by unwelcome [smoke from wildfires]() in Canada. A pervasive orange-gray haze loured over [places like New York City]() for days, spiking [air pollution]() to dangerous levels. That haze eventually cleared up, but the threat isn't over. Canadian wildfires haven't relented, leaving the US at the mercy of shifting weather patterns that are once again bringing the smoke southward. Now, across the US, the air quality is again reaching dangerously poor levels, with 23 states [issuing]() air quality alerts so far. By [some estimates](), that means over a third of the entire US population is now affected. ## Alarming Pollution This time, the midwest has suffered the vanguard of the smoke. Cities like Chicago, Cleveland, and Detroit — which was also affected during the earlier wave — [have been blanketed in smog](). Forecasts show that the smoke is moving eastward, revisiting locales it's already haunted, including New York. In Pittsburgh, the pollution has reached an absolutely astounding air quality index (AQI) of 245, or "very unhealthy," [according to AccuWeather]() — some of the worst air quality in the world. In Washington DC, where the [AQI]() is 217, officials have issued a "[code red]()" warning. High levels like those mean that even healthy people should limit their activities outdoors as much as they can, as the pollutants, primarily a fine particulate matter called PM2.5, can cause irritation to the eyes and throat and even difficulty breathing. According [to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention](), PM2.5 has also been linked to lung cancer. Not quite seeing the writing on the wall, though, many outdoor [events in affected areas]() have not been cancelled. The Pittsburgh Pirates, for example, have continued to play their game against the San Diego Padres after a brief delay, [drawing criticism from players](). ## Climate Woes Wildfires are a seasonal phenomenon in Canada, but this bout is the worst and most destructive the country has ever experienced. So far, a [record]() 20 million acres of land has been burned, and it's unclear when the inferno will die out. The National Weather Service [warned]() that there is "no end in sight" to the wildfires. As of now, there are some 500 active wildfires, up from 400 in early June. Eastern provinces are the heart of the blaze, where Quebec has the most active wildfires. But the west coast hasn't been spared either, with British Columbia just behind. The devastating ferocity has [been linked]() to rising temperatures brought by climate change, meaning that this could be a dangerous trend that may [continue to plague the east coast]() in the future. **More on wildfires:** *[As Smoke Fills the Sky, Google's New AI Gives Wildly Inaccurate Info on Air Quality]()* ## Author At Futurism, my work has often centered on bringing a sense of clarity and insight to complex topics ranging from the regulation of emerging technologies to the esoteric ideologies of Silicon Valley executives, while striving not to lose the poetic sense of awe inspired by often-obscure fields like astrophysics and quantum computing. I broke the story of CNET using AI to produce articles that turned out to be riddled with factual errors and plagiarism — a dam-breaking inflection point, as I've reported, that's inspired copycats and endless discourse while beguiling stakeholders ranging from tech giants to purveyors of spam around the web. My work at Futurism has been cited by publications including CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, Vice, Gizmodo, Engadget, the Verge, and Vanity Fair. I grew up in locales ranging from India to China, and now live in the exotic suburbs of Virginia. In my free time, I'm an avid reader of weird sci-fi literature, an aficionado of East Asian cinema, and, regrettably, a relapsed gamer. Allegedly, I’m working on a debut novel, currently untitled. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()