Canadian wildfire smoke causes hazardous air quality in US cities

Wildfires in east-central Canada are producing massive plumes of smoke that have drifted into the United States, causing hazardous air quality in major cities like New York, Chicago, Detroit, and Toronto. Air quality indexes have reached levels as high as 600 in Detroit, prompting alerts and visible haze that obscured skylines. The smoke has degraded visibility and health conditions across the region, with officials warning residents to limit outdoor activities. This event is part of a broader pattern of extreme weather affecting North America, including floods in Texas and wildfires in California.