megafires

Wildfire smoke from northern Minnesota and Canada has caused dangerously poor air quality in the Midwest and Northeast, with air quality alerts issued in cities like Toronto, New York, and Chicago. The article links the increased intensity and frequency of such fires to human-caused climate change and highlights the growing need for regions outside the West to prepare for 'smoke season.'

In 2025, devastating wildfires affected wealthier regions including California, Canada, Europe, and South Korea, but global hectares burned were the second-lowest since 2002. The reduction is attributed to farming changes in Africa that fragmented landscapes and hindered large savannah fires.