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 28, 2023, 6:05 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, 6:05 PM EDT

Over 100 million Americans under air quality alerts

Air quality alerts remain in effect for more than 100 million Americans across the Midwest and into the Northeast Wednesday evening, as wildfire smoke from neighboring Canada blankets large swaths of the United States.

Air quality alerts remain in effect for more than 100 million Americans across the Midwest into the Northeast Wednesday evening.
ABC News

Hard-hit Chicago, Detroit and Minneapolis remain among the top five places in the world with the worst air quality as of Wednesday evening.

The air quality alerts are mainly for people in sensitive groups who have upper respiratory issues.

Near-surface smoke is expected to stretch from Wisconsin to Kentucky and into the Carolinas Wednesday evening.
ABC News

The near-surface smoke is expected to stretch from Wisconsin to Kentucky and into the Carolinas Wednesday evening. Some of the smoke will likely make its way into the mid-Atlantic overnight. Pittsburgh to Syracuse are forecast to see hazy, smoky skies and poor air quality Wednesday night.

Near-surface smoke is expected to move east through Thursday.
ABC News

Through Thursday, the smoke is expected to move out of the Midwest and linger farther east but not be as heavy. No significant smoke issues are forecast at this time for major Northeast cities, including New York City.

-ABC News' Melissa Griffin

Jun 28, 2023, 1:10 PM EDT

Air quality health advisory issued in New York

While the poor air quality is mostly hovering over the Midwest, the dangerous smoke is also drifting toward the East Coast.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has expanded Wednesday's air quality health advisory to include the entire state.

"Air in Western New York, Central New York, and the Eastern Lake Ontario regions is forecast to be 'Unhealthy,'" Hochul's office said. "The forecast for the remainder of the state, including New York City and Long Island, is 'Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups.'"

Jun 28, 2023, 12:39 PM EDT

Chicago's Air Quality Alert in effect until Wednesday night

In Chicago, where the Air Quality Index is in the "very unhealthy" category, an Air Quality Alert is in effect until Wednesday night.

A plane taxis to the runway as smoke from wildfires in Canada reduces visibility, June 28, 2023, at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago.
Joshua A. Bickel/AP

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is urging "particularly sensitive populations, including individuals with heart or lung disease, older adults, pregnant people, and young children" to avoid outdoor activities.

Camps have been moved indoors where possible, the mayor said, and he's encouraging "Chicagoans without access to properly ventilated and safe indoor conditions" to "please utilize our public libraries, senior centers, Park District facilities, and the Cultural Center or the six community service centers that operate from 9am-5pm."

Jun 28, 2023, 11:53 AM EDT

White House monitoring air quality issues as Biden visits Chicago

President Joe Biden has touched down in Chicago for fundraising and an economic address, and the White House said his schedule has not been modified due to the poor air quality in the city.

Marine One with President Joe Biden flies over a hazy Chicago, June 28, 2023, as some 80 million people from the Midwest to the East Coast are under air quality alerts due to smoke from Canadian wildfires sweeping the nation.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

PHOTO: A jogger runs along the shoreline of Lake Michigan with heavy smoke from the Canadian wildfires, June 27, 2023, in Chicago, Illinois.
A jogger runs along the shoreline of Lake Michigan with heavy smoke from the Canadian wildfires, June 27, 2023, in Chicago, Illinois. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement, "The City of Chicago is carefully monitoring and taking precautions as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has categorized our Air Quality Index as "unhealthy" due to Canadian wildfire smoke present in the Chicago region. We recommend children, teens, seniors, people with heart or lung disease, and individuals who are pregnant avoid strenuous activities and limit their time outdoors."
Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images

"No modifications to today's schedule that I'm aware of as a result of this," principal deputy press secretary Olivia Dalton said. "But certainly, we are monitoring the air quality issues across the country closely and federal agencies are ensuring that federal resources are available in affected regions as appropriate."

The Air Quality Index in hazy Chicago reached 207 on Wednesday morning. Any number over 100 is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups.

-ABC News' Molly Nagle

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