Wildfire activity in Canada increased in July 2026, a time of year when lightning ignition typically increases, according to a seasonal outlook published by several North American fire agencies. The fires caused plumes of smoke across the United States and Canada, affecting air quality in both countries. This animation tracks brown carbon, the organic aerosols
Landslides in Alaska. Air quality in Atlanta. Clouds of fire in the west. From the Arctic fringe to agricultural areas, NASA’s new class of Earth Venture suborbital missions is preparing to deliver science that will benefit communities in the United States and beyond. The six projects will mobilize hundreds of scientists and pilots from NASA,
As more than 800 wildfires burn across Canada, including dozens of out-of-control fires in western Ontario, the resulting smoke has worsened air quality in several parts of the United States, including the Great Lakes, the Midwest and the Northeast. Disturbing images of orange skies over New York City on Wednesday and Thursday sparked widespread concern
After a slow start to Canada’s 2026 fire season, activity rebounded in late June amid dry, warm conditions and moved back closer to the 25-year average. As of mid-July, nearly 850 fires were actively burning across the country, according to the Canadian Interagency Wildfire Centre. More than 180 of them burned in Ontario. This NOAA-21
After a winter with below-average snowpack and an unusually warm and dry start to summer, the National Interagency Fire Center warned that the Great Basin and parts of the Rocky Mountains faced an elevated risk of wildfires in July 2026. The warning was accurate. By July 7, firefighters worked to contain nearly three dozen large
With peak wildfire season approaching, scientists with NASA’s FireSense project have created low-cost thermal sensors to install on fire bulldozers that will alert firefighters when heat from a nearby fire reaches a dangerous level. The sensors also provide researchers with important data on what happens beneath the canopy during a fire. In April, researchers and