Hazardous smoke from wildfires in Ontario and Minnesota blanketed cities across the United States and Canada on July 16, 2026, turning skies orange over large portions of the country, according to NPR.
Canada was actively fighting wildfires as of that date, and Minnesota was also dealing with active fires, BBC News Science reported. The smoke created dangerous air quality conditions across affected regions.
NPR said hazardous air quality was forecast to persist beyond July 16.