Canada wildfire smoke drifts into Great Lakes and Northeast, sparking air-quality alerts

A large plume of wildfire smoke from Canada is drifting into the Great Lakes and Northeast, with surface smoke potentially causing unhealthy air quality from the Upper Midwest to New England in the coming days. Health risks are highest for people with lung or heart conditions, and forecasts suggest Chicago could see worsened air quality midweek as a heat-dome–driven pattern pushes smoke southward; scientists note longer, more intense wildfire seasons linked to climate change.