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Canadian wildfire smoke descends on parts of US, including New York City

Extreme heat will continue in the Northeast as Texas braces for more flooding. More than 830 wildfires were burning in Canada, along with more than a dozen in northern Minnesota, forcing mandatory evacuations and spreading unhealthy smoke down to the Lower 48. A cloudy orange haze was seen blanketing the spires of buildings that make up New York City's iconic skyline on Wednesday, with poor air quality expected to continue through Thursday. Officials issued an Air Quality Health Advisory for the entire state on Thursday. Some of the largest wildfires are burning in west-central Ontario, consuming thick forests and releasing an incredible amount of smoke.

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Scoop News DeskUs, Indiana · Published Saturday, September 12, 2026 at 5:59 PM UTCUpdated Monday, September 14, 2026 at 12:23 AM UTC

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On Wednesday afternoon, air quality initially reached unhealthy levels in New York City and the Eastern Lake Ontario region, the Central New York region and parts of Western New York, according to air monitoring site AirNow . "Air quality has reached unhealthy levels in parts of NYC due to smoke from Canadian wildfires," New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a social media statement on Wednesday. "Poor air quality affects everyone, but some people are more sensitive to it than others, including people with heart or lung conditions, older adults, pregnant New Yorkers, and infants and children." Mamdani urged New Yorkers to avoid unnecessary outdoor activities and to stay inside in an air-conditioned setting.

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Story timeline

Dated changes to this report are shown here as they are published.

Version 2unpublished
Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 11:46 AM UTC
Removed by Scoop Timeline eligibility policy
Version 3published
Sunday, September 13, 2026 at 5:52 AM UTC
Extreme heat will continue in the Northeast as Texas braces for more flooding. More than 830 wildfires were burning in Canada, along with more than a dozen in northern Minnesota, forcing mandatory evacuations and spreading unhealthy smoke down to the Lower 48. A cloudy orange haze was seen blanketing the spires of buildings that make up New York City's iconic skyline on Wednesday, with poor air quality expected to continue through Thursday. Officials issued an Air Quality Health Advisory for the entire state on Thursday. Some of the largest wildfires are burning in west-central Ontario, consuming thick forests and releasing an incredible amount of smoke.
Version 4unpublished
Monday, September 14, 2026 at 12:23 AM UTC
Removed by Scoop Timeline eligibility policy