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Smoke levels were expected to improve, but officials warned that winds could bring more wildfire haze into the Northeast.
Members of the US National Guard walk near the US Capitol at the base of the Washington Monument in smoky conditions due to the Canadian wildfires, in Washington, DC, US, Jul 17, 2026. (Photo: REUTERS/Al Drago)
NEW YORK: Dense wildfire smoke billowing down from Canada and northern Minnesota set off unhealthy air quality alerts across the United States on Friday (Jul 17), triggering concern over the weekend's World Cup final outside New York.
US President Donald Trump lashed out at Canada - where authorities said more than 200 fires were burning out of control on Friday - calling the pollution "totally unacceptable."
Detroit, in the US Midwest, remained the most polluted city in the world, according to tracker IQAir. Washington and Chicago weren't far behind, and officials warned against spending unnecessary time outside.
In New York and neighbouring New Jersey, where the World Cup football final will be played on Sunday in an open stadium, the metro area was experiencing air that could be unhealthy for sensitive groups, an improvement after smog on Thursday made the Manhattan skyline barely visible.
But the National Weather Service (NWS) warned the ...
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