Blame Canada: Wildfire Smoke Shrouds NYC in Summer Haze (Again)
An air quality advisory is in effect as officials warn vulnerable New Yorkers to take precautions against both poor air quality and extreme heat, with smoke from Canada and the Great Lakes area wildfires once again reaching the tri-state area.
| 16 Jul 2026 | 10:54
July 16 haze on the downtown Manhattan skyline. (
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July 16 haze on looking over the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan. (
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A hazy view in Herald Square on July 15. (
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July 16 haze on looking over the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan. (
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It seems that hazy orange skies and an air quality health advisories are now staples of summer in New York City, as already sweaty New Yorkers are once again dealing with smoke carried over from Canadian wildfires.
Most city dwellers remember the summer of 2023, when the haze from fires in Quebec plunged the area into shockingly orange skies and hazardous Air Quality Index (AQI) levels peaking at 465 (500 being the maximum and most hazardous level).
City summers have seen at least moderate haze from similar fires every year since. The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation reported an AQI of 125 (“Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups”) for the New York metropolitan area on July 15. The Conservation reported worse numbers the following day, July 16, reporting an AQI of 200.
Hundreds of fires are currently burning in Canada, alongside more than a dozen in northern Minnesota, according to climate and fire tracking organizations. Wind has ushered the smoke and poor air quality into the United States, forcing evacuations in some areas.
The New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM) and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) issued an advisory regarding the declining air quality on July 14.
“Every New Yorker has a different risk profile, and this week you need to know yours,” said NYC Emergency Management Commissioner Christina Farrell. “If you’re sensitive to air quality, don’t remain in a space without air conditioning or filtration. And if you’re in a population vulnerable to heat, older adults, young children, people with chronic conditions, take the heat seriously too.”
The advisory recommends staying inside as much as possible when the AQI is over 100, but they also encourage prioritizing heat safety over air quality safety: “Extreme heat is the deadliest weather hazard and poses a greater immediate risk to life than the air quality levels currently forecast ... you do not have air conditioning at home, go to a cooling center, even if air quality is poor. Being in a cool, indoor space protects you from both heat and smoke.”
As part of their Emergency Heat Plan originally set for July 14 and 15, the city opened cooling centers in response to the heat wave across all five boroughs, and free masks are available at several public library locations, including the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library in Manhattan.
On the evening of July 15, the Mayor’s Office announced that they were extending the Emergency Heat Plan to Thursday, July 16, in response to worsening conditions.