NEW YORK (AP) — Millions of people in the Great Lakes, Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states endured another day of unhealthy air Friday due to uncontrolled wildfires.
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The thick smoke shrouded the nation’s capital in a gloomy, eerie haze and led Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Guardians to postpone their game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Ohio.
Warnings of hazardous conditions were expected to remain in effect through Saturday across a wide swath of the US, although there is a possibility of temporary improvement, with storms forecast in some affected areas over the weekend.
DC resident Stewart Verdery woke up Friday to enjoy his usual sunrise view of the city’s famous landmarks from a rooftop, only to be greeted by a dark skyline with no landmarks in sight.
“It’s pretty crazy to wake up at dawn and not see the sun when it’s not even raining,” he said by phone after posting a video of the surreal scene on X. “And it smells like someone is having the biggest barbecue in the world.”
No end in sight for smoky conditions
There may be pockets of relief at times, like this weekend, but smoky conditions won’t go away anytime soon as fires continue to burn largely unchecked, warned Bob Oravec, senior forecaster for the Maryland-based National Weather Service.
Wildfires are burning in the Ontario area of Canada, as well as in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area wilderness area in Minnesota, which U.S. officials have closed as they struggle to put out the fires.
“The smoke source will probably continue for a week,” Oravec said. “It will just depend on which direction the wind is blowing and where the smoke will affect it the most.”
On Friday, communities in Minnesota, Illinois and Michigan, including Detroit, again recorded some of the worst air quality in the world, according to IQAir, an air quality monitoring website.
Not far from Detroit was Washington, DC, where smoke created eerie scenes. The Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial and other national monuments were shrouded in an orange haze for much of the day.
People, particularly those with heart or lung disease, older adults and children, were urged to limit or avoid going outdoors until air quality improves.
Prolonged exposure to smoke can complicate existing health problems and lead to chronic and life-threatening problems, including respiratory, cardiovascular and neurological diseases and premature death, officials warned.
For Maria Travela, Friday was her first day outdoors since wildfire smoke blanketed the Chicago area early Thursday.
“It’s better now. This morning it was bad,” said Travela, who has asthma and was wearing a mask while crossing a bridge over the Chicago River downtown. “They said that for people like me, with asthma or any kind of problem like that, it would be bad for your lungs.”
Trump criticizes Canada
Hundreds of wildfires are burning across Canada, including about 190 in northern Ontario, Premier Doug Ford said at a news conference. Flames destroyed the Namaygoosisagagun First Nation community, and 10 northern Ontario communities have been evacuated or were being evacuated, with more likely.
The increase in fires in Canada’s vast forests has been largely attributed to climate change.
In response to the smoke, President Donald Trump made a social media post on Friday blaming Canada for its forest management and threatening to impose additional tariffs on Canada.
The Canadian government did not initially respond to questions about Trump’s comments.
When asked about a Michigan lawmaker’s criticism of the smoke, Ford noted that Canada has helped the United States fight fires in the past.
“If there are some politicians out there gossiping, maybe what they should do instead of complaining is send support, send help, because we’ve done exactly the same thing for our American friends and that’s what we’re supposed to do,” Ford said.
Conditions should improve for Sunday’s World Cup final
In the New York City area, there was also concern about how the smoky air could affect Sunday’s World Cup final between soccer powers Spain and Argentina at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Oravec said winds will continue to push wildfire smoke eastward in the United States, although conditions should be better on game day than Saturday.
On Thursday, thick orange and yellow-tinged haze darkened skies in several states and partially obscured the Manhattan skyline.
Officials in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and other northeastern states distributed free K95 face masks, canceled outdoor programming and opened libraries and other public buildings as cooling centers where people could take a breather from the sooty air.
As Friday progressed, air quality measures improved from “unhealthy” to “moderate” in some locations in and around New York City. A strong sun broke through a thin veil of smoke and a clear blue sky could be seen over much of the region on Friday afternoon.
Storms could bring relief in some places
There is a high chance of thunderstorms across much of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic on Saturday, which will help buffer the bad air.
Organizers of the All-American Soap Box Derby in Ohio hope air quality improves enough to allow Saturday’s championship races. The major annual competition in Akron scrapped Friday’s events over concerns about air quality.
“I think they made the right decision,” said Dayna Lincoln, a pediatric nurse from Hodgdon, Maine, whose family drove 15 hours for her 9-year-old daughter’s race on Saturday.
“I’m glad they’re not forcing the kids out,” she said. “There are children with asthma and adults with respiratory conditions who could really suffer.”
