Wildfire smoke gives Midwest some of the world’s dirtiest air

Canadian wildfire smoke pushed into the Midwest and helped give the region some of the worst air quality in the world, according to an NBC News Nightly News report.

NBC News reported that the smoke spread across major U.S. cities, dulling well-known skylines and setting off air quality alerts as the haze moved through the country.

The report, filed by NBC News correspondent Maggie Vespa and published July 16, said the smoke was coming from wildfires in Canada. It described the haze as a blanket over cities across the United States.

The Midwest was singled out in NBC News’ report as seeing the world’s worst air quality while the smoke spread. The report did not name the specific cities in the brief summary attached to the broadcast segment.

Smoke spreads far from the fires

The wildfire smoke did not stay near the burn areas, according to NBC News. Instead, it drifted far enough to affect major population centers in the United States.

The visible impact was immediate in places where skylines were obscured, NBC News reported. The same smoke also prompted air quality alerts, warning residents that conditions had deteriorated.

Wildfire smoke can travel long distances from active fires, and the NBC News report tied the current U.S. air quality problems to Canadian wildfires. No additional details on the number of fires, acreage burned or forecast duration were included in the report summary.

Alerts follow hazy skies

NBC News reported that air quality alerts were issued as the smoke moved over U.S. cities. The alerts came as haze reduced visibility around recognizable skyline views.

The report aired as a two-minute Nightly News segment, with Vespa covering the spread of smoke and its effects on air quality across the country.

Officials or agencies behind the alerts were not identified in the report summary, and NBC News did not include a timetable for when conditions might improve.

This story draws on original reporting from NBC News.