Dangerous and historic wildfire smoke pollution event engulfs the U.S. and Canada
• Smoke from massive wildfires in Canada and Minnesota engulf the Washington, D.C., skyline, reducing visibility and casting a colored haze over the U.S.
• Marine Corps War Memorial as the sun rises on July 17, 2026, in Washington, D.C.
The fires are bringing the worst air quality on record to much of the Great Lakes, mid-Atlantic, and Northeast United States. Pollution from small particles called PM2.5 — the fine particles less than 2.5 microns in diameter are the primary air pollution killers — has been far into the “Hazardous” range across five states since Wednesday morning.
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