Wildfires in Manitoba and Saskatchewan have led to a state of emergency and the evacuation of around 17,000 residents in Manitoba, in what that province's premier is calling its largest evacuation in recent memory. What that means for the United States: Friday and Saturday are going to be pretty smoky. Smoke from the fires is expected to push into the northern US, putting parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan on alert for poor air quality, per the Washington Post.
Some of the smoke is even set to waft down to the Carolinas by the weekend, per USA Today, citing British Columbian forecasters. ABC News reports that Green Bay, Wisconsin, will likely be inundated by "very heavy smoke" by midday Friday, while sunset in Cleveland and Milwaukee "may have an orange hue." USA Today notes that this all echoes the Canadian wildfires of 2023, which also pushed smoke down to parts of the Northeast and Midwest United States. Dry or drought conditions are fueling the blazes, with little sign of relief in weather forecasts—no significant rainfall is expected in the affected regions for at least a week.
The state of emergency in Manitoba is set to last for at least 30 days, with provincial and federal authorities coordinating the response. Canada is currently dealing with 158 active wildfires, more than half considered out of control, with British Columbia and Alberta claiming more than 100 of those blazes, per the Post. In total, about 1.54 million acres nationwide have burned so far this year, with fires scorching nearly 491,000 acres in Manitoba. (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)
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