Wildfire Smoke Threatens Millions | Dayton News

Dayton News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jul 18, 2026 · 1m

Wildfire smoke from Canada is blanketing millions of Americans, triggering air quality alerts across the Midwest and Northeast—with conditions expected to linger through the weekend. With nearly 900 active fires in Canada and 50 new ones igniting daily, the smoke carries harmful particles that can penetrate deep into your lungs, even if you can’t see or smell it. Health risks ramp up when air quality index readings hit 50 or higher, with some areas seeing levels over 200—even 500. Symptoms like coughing, watery eyes, and shortness of breath can hit anyone, but asthma, COPD patients, kids, and…