Smoke from Canadian wildfires blankets major US cities – air quality in Chicago partly "hazardous"

Chicago responds with beach closures

The situation in New York was also tense on Thursday. The famous Manhattan skyline lay shrouded in dense haze on Thursday. New York Governor Kathy Hochul assessed the situation on Thursday as "very serious" and "very unhealthy" with regard to public health. She once again called for people to wear masks outdoors.

New York: appeals to the public

According to authorities, several major cities in the northeastern US are affected by the smoke cover. Sources attribute the smoke development to severe wildfires in Canada, whose smoldering fires are releasing huge amounts of smoke into the atmosphere. Fires in the US state of Minnesota are additionally cited as co-contributors to the plume of smoke lying over the northeastern US.

Origin of the smoke

The poor air had immediate sporting consequences: the MLS match between Chicago Fire and the Vancouver Whitecaps, scheduled for Thursday (local time) in Chicago, was canceled due to the poor air quality. Robert Lewandowski's debut for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer against the Vancouver Whitecaps was thus called off. The decision was made together with experts with a view to the health and safety of all involved. The match has been rescheduled for October 6.

Cancellation for Chicago Fire

The air quality is also a cause for concern with regard to the upcoming final of a soccer World Cup. The World Cup final between European champions Spain and titleholders Argentina takes place on Sunday at 9:00 p.m. in East Rutherford near New York and will be broadcast live on ORF1. New York lies near the venue. It remains unclear whether the current air pollution will have an impact on the final.

Open questions ahead of the World Cup final

For the coming days, however, forecasts indicate an improvement. Accordingly, air quality is expected to improve again from Saturday. Observers view this as a possible relief – both for residents and for the organizers of the World Cup final.

Forecast: improvement from Saturday

Authorities in the affected states meanwhile continued to appeal to the public to reduce physical exertion outdoors and to wear protective masks if needed. It is also recommended to seek out rooms with air conditioning or filtered ventilation and to keep windows closed as long as the smoke pollution persists.

Overall, the current incident illustrates how vulnerable densely populated regions are to cross-border environmental disasters. The smoke clouds covered hundreds of kilometers within a few hours and simultaneously affected major metropolitan areas on the US East Coast and in the Midwest.