There’s a haze in the sky across a large portion of the Midwest. The smoke coming from more than 210 fires burning in Canada, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center, on Friday, June 6. The fires are affecting those in the north and impacting neighbors to the south. Canadians fleeTens of thousands of Canadians have been forced to flee their homes as many wildfires rage out of control, and air quality in the United States is dropping rapidly. The latest informationAccording to the Environmental Protection Agency’s AirNow webpage, air quality is listed as moderate to unhealthy, from as far south as Kansas and Nebraska to as far north as Maine. The EPA warns that wildfire smoke can cause respiratory problems and potentially lead to lung or sinus infections. What scientists are sayingScientists say that failing to stay up to date on the latest conditions can put people at risk without them even realizing it. They advise people to wear respirator masks in regions where conditions are unhealthy or to avoid the outdoors altogether if possible.While Canada is off to another historic start to wildfire season, similar to 2023, scientists warn that fires will worsen with climate change. That includes the smoke that lingers for days in communities far beyond the borders of the fires. Copy URL Save image Email Facebook Twitter / X Reddit Unbiased. Straight Facts.TMAs of Friday, June 6, 210 active fires are burning throughout Canada, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center.Where the smoke burnsAs wildfires burn, with nearly 70 alone in British Columbia, across Canada, some in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan are experiencing some of the worst smoke conditions in the United States from the fires. While the fires are harming Canadians the most, vacationers in the United States are also feeling the impact. Paige Fischer, who was traveling to Traverse City from Ann Arbor, told NPR that as she left her home this week, she noticed the smoke from the raging wildfires was already making its way into her town. “Even though I study this, I haven’t completely caught up in terms of planning ahead to make sure there’s good filtration systems where I’m staying,” said Fischer, a professor of environmental sustainability at the University of Michigan. “But I definitely have masks with me.”More wildfires likelyFischer warns that as rising temperatures and droughts worsen due to climate change, the problem is likely to get worse, making it more difficult to adapt to the smoke.“Wildfires are happening more frequently. They’re getting bigger. They’re emitting more smoke,” Fischer told NPR. “The climate models are projecting that we’re going to have more frequent, more severe wildfires.”Others warn of climate change consequencesShe is not the only one sending out the warning. Lori Daniels, an ecologist specializing in forestry and a professor at the University of British Columbia, also spoke with NPR. She specifically studies wildfires. Daniels said, “Smoke knows no political boundaries– and neither does fire. The wind patterns have taken that smoke kind of from the northwest across a big diagonal. Daniels added, “And that’s why you’re getting so much smoke down in the United States.”As in 2023, wildfires from the same areas of Canada that are now experiencing new fires brought heavy smoke into the Midwest and beyond. Smoke that lingered for days on end prompted air advisories. Daniels cautions that the consequences are catastrophic and widespread.“We are again having a remarkable start to the fire season here in Canada,” said Daniels. “Like the U.S., we’ve been struggling with these really mega fires that have huge consequences for our ecosystems and for our human communities… we’re struggling with this, not just in Canada and the United States, but worldwide.”Canada experienced impacts from US wildfires as wellDaniels notes that while Canada is currently experiencing wildfires, it was only roughly five years ago that the California wildfires impacted Canadians. She said the smoke from those fires blew into Canada, prompting concerns about air quality similar to the ones Americans in the Midwest are experiencing today. Daniels said they were the worst air quality conditions ever recorded in Vancouver due to wildfires in the Golden State in 2020.However, Daniels said she empathizes with Americans experiencing the negative impact of wildfires from Canada and said, “We’re sorry about the smoke.”