Western Fires Causing Air Quality Concerns

news image
Special Stories
3 Aug 2018 5:20 AM
Smoke from wildfires burning across the West stretches far from its sources, with smoke and haze reaching into Canada and well into the central United States. As smoke fills the sky from the intense wildfires burning across parts of the West, air quality alerts are being issued. The Ferguson Fire west of Yosemite National Park is producing dangerous air quality for parts central California, per the National Weather Service. And this is not only area being impacted by poor air quality due to fires. Much of southern Oregon is dealing with these concerns, with air quality alerts likely lingering as long as fires persist. Pollutants in smoke can cause burning eyes, runny nose, aggravate heart and lung diseases, as well as aggravate other serious health problems. For these reasons, people should limit outdoor activities and keep children indoors if it is smoky. And smoke from these fires stretches far from it's sources, with smoke and haze reaching into Canada and well into the central United States. For WeatherNation, I am Meteorologist Marcus Walter.
All Weather News
More
Several Fires Break Out in SoCal Amid Santa Ana Wind Event

Several Fires Break Out in SoCal Amid Santa Ana Wind Event

Santa Ana winds helped several fires grow qui

18 Oct 2026 10:25 AM
Frost & Freeze Alerts Issued Behind Strong Cold Front

Frost & Freeze Alerts Issued Behind Strong Cold Front

After record heat impacted much of the Centra

18 Oct 2026 10:20 AM
Tropics: Champi Bears Down on Guam, Pacific Staying Active

Tropics: Champi Bears Down on Guam, Pacific Staying Active

Isaias ended the late-season streak of no hur

18 Oct 2026 10:15 AM
Pattern Change for the West Next Week

Pattern Change for the West Next Week

The fire situation in California is slowly im

18 Oct 2026 10:05 AM
Severe Risk Diminishing Saturday Morning for the Northeast

Severe Risk Diminishing Saturday Morning for the Northeast

Severe Storm PotentialSevere risk is decreasi

16 Oct 2026 10:20 AM
Flooding & Severe Storms Persist in the Southern Plains

Flooding & Severe Storms Persist in the Southern Plains

Extreme rainfall has been hitting areas of Te

16 Oct 2026 2:00 AM
Cooler Air & Lingering Snow for The Rockies

Cooler Air & Lingering Snow for The Rockies

A digging trough is bringing cooler temperatu

15 Oct 2026 10:00 AM