Haze envelops several US cities as Canadian wildfire continues

A smoky haze blanketing US and forest fires burning across Canada brings home the grim reality of the effects of global warming

By Madhu Kapparath

Published: Jun 9, 2023 04:34:51 PM IST

Updated: Jun 9, 2023 04:49:20 PM IST

As a cough-inducing smoky haze from Canadian wildfires smothered a large swathe of US cities and crosses over the Atlantic to Iceland and Norway, the devastating reality of a wildfire season that has started earlier and lasts longer is now before us.

Members of the US Marine Corps rehearse in hazy smoke for the Sunset Parade at the Lincoln Memorial on June 8, 2023, in Washington DC, US. Air quality alert has been elevated to a Code Purple, signifying the worst as the haze disrupts daily life and air travel plans for millions. Image: Alex Wong/Getty Images

A pedestrian wearing a breathing filter walks in Times Square amid a smoky haze on June 7, 2023, in New York City. A day after the air quality in New York reached historically bad levels, the state was making N95 masks available at state facilities, including New York City. Image: Liao Pan/CNS/VCG via Getty Images

Climate activists demonstrate during a "funeral march" in New York on June 8, 2023, as the city is blanketed with haze caused by Canadian wildfires. Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and US President Joe Biden acknowledged the need to work together to address the devastating impact of climate change. Image: Yuki Iwamura / AFP

In this aerial image, smoke rises from the Tantallon wildfire, west of Halifax, Canada. Over 400 wildfires—that started the season pretty early—were burning across Canada, stretching from British Columbia on the west coast to Nova Scotia, nearly 2900 miles away in the east of Canada. Image: Handout / Nova Scotia Government / AFP

Property owner Adam Norris surveys the damage at his home outside the town of Drayton, Alberta, Canada on May 08 2023. Canada struggled to control the wildfire that has forced thousands to flee, halted oil production and threaten to raze towns, with the western province of Alberta calling for federal help. Image: Walter Tychnowicz / AFP

Men smoke next to a fire truck in the town of Nazyvayevsk affected by a fire, as a state of emergency has been declared in the Omsk region, Russia due to wildfires on May 6, 2022. Russia heads the list of countries with an annual average of most forest loss caused by fires at 2.51 million hectares. Image: Alexey Malgavko / Reuters

Firefighters work to extinguish wildfires near downtown Brasilia, Brazil on June 1, 2022. Among the list of countries with the most forest losses, Brazil lost 453,000 hectares due to wildfires on an annual average. Image: Adriano Machado/ Reuters