Wildfire smoke updates: CDC issues health alert on wildfire smoke exposure

The smoke is forecast to dissipate over the weekend.

ByKenton Gewecke, Max Golembo, Melissa Griffin, Morgan Winsor, Emily Shapiro, and Meredith Deliso
Last Updated: June 30, 2023, 9:56 PM EDT

Millions of Americans are on alert for unhealthy air quality as smoke from wildfires in neighboring Canada drifts to the United States.

Wildfires have burned a record of 20 million acres across Canada so far this year, with no end in sight. There are currently 500 active wildfires throughout the country and more than 250 have been deemed out of control, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center. The smoke has been making its way to the U.S. for over a month.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Jun 28, 2023, 7:03 AM EDT

20 US states under air quality alerts

As of Wednesday morning, 20 U.S. states are under air quality alerts from Minnesota down to Georgia and as far north as western New York.

Wildfire smoke from neighboring Canada is currently blanketing large swaths of the United States, from Iowa to western Pennsylvania to North Carolina and most everywhere in between. Only Chicago is getting a small reprieve on Wednesday morning due to a lake breeze, which isn't expected to last for long.

Twenty U.S. states were under air quality alerts on the morning of June 28, 2023, due to smoke from wildfires in neighboring Canada.
ABC News

Later on Wednesday, the smoke is expected to cover areas from Minnesota to Washington, D.C. and down to the Carolinas.

Smoke from Canadian wildfires is forecast to blanket parts of the United States, from Minnesota to Washington D.C. and down to the Carolinas, on June 28, 2023.
ABC News

By early Thursday morning, the smoke will be seen in Minneapolis, Chicago, Indianapolis, Atlanta and Pittsburgh. But by the afternoon, it will linger from Detroit to Atlanta and east to Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia.

Smoke from Canadian wildfires will be seen in major U.S. cities like Minneapolis, Chicago, Indianapolis, Atlanta and Pittsburg on the morning of June 29, 2023.
ABC News

New York City could be impacted as well, but most of the smoke from the Canadian wildfires is expected to stay in western New York state, Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey.

Smoke from Canadian wildfires will linger from Detroit to Atlanta and east to Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia by the afternoon of June 29, 2023.
ABC News

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