{"id":3606,"date":"2026-07-28T10:29:53","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T10:29:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/?p=3606"},"modified":"2026-07-28T10:29:53","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T10:29:53","slug":"wildfire-smoke-forecast-to-blanket-parts-of-the-u-s-again-this-week-these-will-be-the-most-affected-states","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/?p=3606","title":{"rendered":"Wildfire smoke forecast to blanket parts of the U.S. again this week. These will be the most affected states."},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Smoke from fires burning in the Pacific Northwest is creating hazy skies and unhealthy conditions for a large swath of the United States this week. The massive plume of smoke, which is expected to spread as far as Florida, comes less than two weeks after the Midwest and Northeast endured record-setting levels of hazardous air pollution caused by Canadian wildfires.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">As of Monday morning, there were\u00a051 large uncontained fires\u00a0burning in Oregon and Washington that, along with smaller fires in the area, had cumulatively burned more than 1.5 million acres of wildland. There were also more than 22 uncontrolled\u00a0fires\u00a0in British Columbia, just north of Washington.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The blazes have created unhealthy air quality in parts of eastern Oregon and generally unhealthy conditions in parts of Washington and Idaho. All three states have issued advisories urging residents to limit their time outdoors to avoid potentially harmful levels of airborne particulates, which can cause a range of health problems, especially for sensitive groups.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"rounded-lg\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/lo\/mysterio\/api\/333fbf966b09afc48de7b2425007d7757fbfbec637d22ef5f801e4e00569e198\/lightyear_networkapi\/resizefill_w960;quality_80;format_webp\/https:%2F%2Fd29szjachogqwa.cloudfront.net%2Fimages%2Fuser-uploaded%2Fnoon-pst-smoke-727_2424.png\" alt=\"Smoke forecast for noon PT across the continental United States.\" width=\"960\" height=\"563\" data-nimg=\"1\" \/><button class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" aria-label=\"View larger image\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\" data-rapid_p=\"10\" data-y-link-id=\"12e20i40yx99cq197zgw\"><\/button><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<div>\n<p>Smoke forecast for noon PT on July 27, 2026, across the continental United States.<\/p>\n<p>(NOAA)<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The smoke is not as widespread or severe as the\u00a0historically toxic air\u00a0that affected the Midwest and Northeast earlier this month, which created concentrations of pollutants more than 10 times the level that is considered hazardous for everyone under the Environmental Protection Agency&#8217;s\u00a0Air Quality Index.<\/p>\n<div class=\"max-md:faux-bleed mb-4 bg-accent\/2 pb-5 md:invisible md:mb-0 md:h-0 md:overflow-hidden md:pb-0\">\n<div class=\"py-2 text-center text-xs uppercase\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-nowrap justify-center\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Forecasters expect air quality in areas near the fires to reach hazardous levels on Tuesday. The smoke is also forecast to travel thousands of miles across the northern U.S. to the Midwest and then down through portions of the South. The\u00a0latest forecasts\u00a0show Montana, the Dakotas and parts of Minnesota experiencing unhealthy air quality through at least Tuesday. Some of the smoke is forecast to travel to Florida, but it is not expected to be to pose a significant health risk.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"rounded-lg\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/lo\/mysterio\/api\/a87c1c09ba11b81e2caf99a73130cbf5d0be9c8e9a91d6aeb7ffd3c9cceb1863\/lightyear_networkapi\/resizefill_w960;quality_80;format_webp\/https:%2F%2Fd29szjachogqwa.cloudfront.net%2Fimages%2Fuser-uploaded%2Faqi-3pm-727_5024.png\" alt=\"A map showing Air Quality Index scores in the continental U.S. at 3 p.m. PT on July 27.\" width=\"960\" height=\"570\" data-nimg=\"1\" \/><button class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" aria-label=\"View larger image\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\" data-rapid_p=\"14\" data-y-link-id=\"082ekng08vbmrh1kaghh\" data-v9y=\"1\"><\/button><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<div>\n<p>A map showing Air Quality Index scores in the continental U.S. at 3 p.m. PT on July 27.<\/p>\n<p>(EPA)<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"why-has-the-smoke-been-so-bad-this-year\" class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\" data-jump-link-target=\"\">Why has the smoke been so bad this year?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Lots of environmental factors affect the severity and frequency of wildfires \u2014 and just about all of them have been working against the U.S. and Canada this summer. For starters, last winter was\u00a0historically warm, which meant forests got drier during months when they would normally replenish their moisture. The warm winter also resulted in less mountain snowpack, reducing the amount of water available to parched areas during the spring melt.<\/p>\n<div class=\"mb-4\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">More recently, the U.S. and Canada have experienced\u00a0severe and prolonged heat waves\u00a0that have sapped even more moisture from the trees, bushes and grasses fueling the fires.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;The conspicuous overlap between record-breaking warmth, dryness, and\/or low snowpack and these fires is simply not a coincidence,&#8221; climate scientist Daniel Swain wrote in a\u00a0social media post\u00a0on Sunday.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"rounded-lg\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/lo\/mysterio\/api\/a4f88dfba0c035012c0358f4c73c420b41ecb1b10e0e1e55f65631aa6d76e555\/lightyear_networkapi\/resizefill_w960;quality_80;format_webp\/https:%2F%2Fd29szjachogqwa.cloudfront.net%2Fimages%2Fuser-uploaded%2Fap26206788324394_5898.jpg\" alt=\"The Bench fire burns along the banks of the Deschutes River on Saturday, July 25, 2026, in Jefferson County, Ore.\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" data-nimg=\"1\" \/><button class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" aria-label=\"View larger image\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\" data-rapid_p=\"18\" data-y-link-id=\"1mowjxb0vc8yng0htttr\" data-v9y=\"1\"><\/button><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<div>\n<p>The Bench fire burns along the banks of the Deschutes River on Saturday, July 25, 2026, in Jefferson County, Ore.<\/p>\n<p>(Noah Berger\/AP)<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">As with all extreme weather events, pinpointing exactly how much climate change has affected an individual fire or set of fires is impossible. But, Swain explained, you can&#8217;t really make sense of what&#8217;s happening without accounting for the warming climate.<\/p>\n<div class=\"max-md:faux-bleed mb-4 bg-accent\/2 pb-5 md:invisible md:mb-0 md:h-0 md:overflow-hidden md:pb-0\">\n<div class=\"py-2 text-center text-xs uppercase\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-nowrap justify-center\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;Climate change is certainly not the only factor at play in any of these regions. But it&#8217;s also a rapidly growing contributor, and in some of these &#8216;edge case&#8217; extremes is likely even a leading one,&#8221; he\u00a0wrote.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"why-is-wildfire-smoke-dangerous\" class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\" data-jump-link-target=\"\">Why is wildfire smoke dangerous?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Smoke from wildfires is filled with harmful gases and tiny particles that can cause a wide range of serious health problems for people exposed to it.<\/p>\n<div class=\"mb-4\">\n<div id=\"recirc-0318c115-484e-43c3-a138-01ac2df8b25b\" class=\"mb-4\">\n<div class=\"grid gap-4 lg:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-rows-[auto_auto_1fr]\">\n<div class=\"relative w-full\">\n<div class=\"relative hidden md:flex\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"h-4 bg-tertiary w-2\/5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"_r_1qn_\" class=\"absolute inset-0 rounded-[4px] focus-within:ring-2 focus-within:ring-link\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;Fine particulate matter from wildfire smoke is particularly dangerous because it can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, potentially causing damage to multiple body systems, including the cardiovascular and nervous systems,&#8221; Jessica Yu, a research scientist at Stanford University, said during a\u00a0panel discussion\u00a0at the school last year. Yu&#8217;s co-researcher, Lisa Patel, estimated that wildfire smoke is &#8220;10 times as toxic&#8221; as typical air pollution.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Wildfire smoke is especially dangerous for members of\u00a0sensitive groups, including people with heart or lung disease, older adults, young children and anyone at risk of extended exposure, such as outdoor workers.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-to-stay-safe\" class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\" data-jump-link-target=\"\">How to stay safe<\/h2>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Health experts\u00a0say\u00a0the No. 1 way to protect yourself from wildfire smoke is to limit your exposure as much as possible. Avoid going outside unless it&#8217;s absolutely necessary and keep trips short whenever possible. Resources like\u00a0AirNow, the federal government&#8217;s national air quality monitoring system, can help you understand how severe the risk is and plan accordingly.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"rounded-lg\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/lo\/mysterio\/api\/2a47a9df73114c7f46e57d79f51161f2296142660ece11647f5dcca75b9b4ac3\/lightyear_networkapi\/resizefill_w960;quality_80;format_webp\/https:%2F%2Fd29szjachogqwa.cloudfront.net%2Fimages%2Fuser-uploaded%2Fap26207102461827_8122.jpg\" alt=\"Children watch as the Bench fire approaches on Saturday, July 25, 2026, in Warm Springs, Ore.\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" data-nimg=\"1\" \/><button class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" aria-label=\"View larger image\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\" data-rapid_p=\"24\" data-y-link-id=\"1ucc9eb0xzl9n81fdjag\" data-v9y=\"1\"><\/button><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<div>\n<p>Children watch as the Bench fire approaches on Saturday, July 25, 2026, in Warm Springs, Ore.<\/p>\n<p>(Noah Berger\/AP)<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">If you are going to go outside, health officials advise that you wear a mask, but not all masks will get the job done. Experts say surgical masks, like the ones that were most commonly used during the COVID-19 pandemic, offer only minimal protection from the particulate matter in wildfire smoke. Respirator masks, such as an N95, are much more effective.<\/p>\n<div class=\"max-md:faux-bleed mb-4 bg-accent\/2 pb-5 md:invisible md:mb-0 md:h-0 md:overflow-hidden md:pb-0\">\n<div class=\"py-2 text-center text-xs uppercase\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-nowrap justify-center\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">While indoors, it&#8217;s important to keep all windows and doors securely shut. Running the air conditioner can help filter particulates out of the air, but ensure that the system is recirculating air that&#8217;s already inside the home, not pulling in new air from outside. Using a commercial air filter, or fashioning your own using a fan and other household items, can be beneficial.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Officials also recommend turning part of your home into a &#8220;clean room&#8221; that is especially insulated from wildfire smoke, where all members of the household can gather together until the risk has passed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Smoke from fires burning in the Pacific Northwest is creating hazy skies and unhealthy conditions for a large<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":3607,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,34],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3606","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-weather"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3606","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3606"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3606\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3608,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3606\/revisions\/3608"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3607"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3606"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3606"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3606"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}