Canadian Wildfire Smoke Blankets East Coast, Reaching as Far as Florida

Wildfire smoke from Canada has reached as far south as Florida, compromising air quality along the Eastern Seaboard. The smoke, which has been part of a historic and prolonged wildfire season, drifted across the region due to atmospheric steering currents. Code red and code orange air quality levels were observed in various areas, including Orlando, Jacksonville, and Palm Beach County. The smoke also affected the northeast, with hazy skies reported from New York City to Washington. The ongoing fires in Canada have burned about a million acres, and while wetter conditions have helped decrease the fire risk in the west, warmer and drier weather is expected to return.