Wildfire Smoke Affects Air Quality Across Midwest and Northeast
Canadian wildfire smoke is impacting air quality in several U.S. cities. Residents are advised to check local forecasts for updates. (sources: washingtonpost, axios, bbc, cbsnews, nytimes)
Wildfire smoke from Canada is causing hazardous air quality in parts of the Midwest and Northeast. Events such as sports games and concerts have been disrupted due to the smoke.
- Canadian wildfire smoke is creating a haze over multiple U.S. cities.
- Air quality in affected areas has reached dangerous levels.
- Public events, including sports games and concerts, have been impacted.
Why it matters
The smoke poses health risks to millions of residents in the affected areas.
↓ Congress can act on this
6 bills on this issue are moving right now — and the most active one is S.306: Fire Ready Nation Act of 2025.
S.306 · 119th Congress
Fire Ready Nation Act of 2025
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About this bill
What S.306 actually does
This story is about Doctor on how concerning wildfire smoke is for health. This bill would put NOAA’s wildfire-smoke forecasting and service-delivery work into statute.
If passed, it would:
- put NOAA’s wildfire-smoke forecasting and service-delivery work into statute • improve smoke and air-quality forecasts used for alerts and public decision-making.
5 other bills moving on this issue
Take action on any of them individually.
This story is about Doctor on how concerning wildfire smoke is for health. This bill would revise Clean Air Act rules for handling monitoring data affected by exceptional events or wildfire-risk mitigation actions.
If passed, it would
- revise Clean Air Act rules for handling monitoring data affected by exceptional events or wildfire-risk mitigation • change how EPA evaluates some wildfire- and prescribed-burn-related air events.
This story is about Doctor on how concerning wildfire smoke is for health. This bill would establish a nationally consistent wildfire-smoke monitoring and alert system.
If passed, it would
- establish a nationally consistent wildfire-smoke monitoring and alert system • modernize AirNow and require a worker health-risk assessment for wildfire smoke exposure.
This story is about Doctor on how concerning wildfire smoke is for health. This bill would create EPA grants for local smoke-preparedness and response programs.
If passed, it would
- create EPA grants for local smoke-preparedness and response programs • fund Centers of Excellence and research on smoke-health effects and interventions.
This story is about Doctor on how concerning wildfire smoke is for health. This bill would authorize transitional sheltering assistance for people in wildfire-smoke emergencies.
If passed, it would
- authorize transitional sheltering assistance for people in wildfire-smoke emergencies • focus that aid on people at higher risk of smoke-related illness.
This story is about Doctor on how concerning wildfire smoke is for health. This bill would create an occupational safety standard protecting farmworkers from wildfire smoke.
If passed, it would
- create an occupational safety standard protecting farmworkers from wildfire smoke • require respirators and other protections when smoke becomes dangerous.
Sources used · 11 sources