Map Shows States That May Experience Canada Wildfire Smoke [Video]

A Newsweek map shows where smoke from hundreds of wildfires burning across Canada which have prompted mass evacuations could impact states in the U.S.

Why It Matters

Smoke and airborne pollutants can be especially hazardous for individuals with respiratory conditions.

So far this year, wildfires have scorched over 1.58 million acres in Canada—roughly 40 percent above the 10-year average for this time of year, CNN reported.

What To Know

More than 160 fires were burning across Canada on Thursday, CNN said, citing the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center.

A provincewide state of emergency in Manitoba was declared to evacuate and shelter some 17,000 people, a move which Premier Wab Kinew described as “the largest wildfire evacuation in recent memory.” A state of emergency was also declared in neighboring Saskatchewan due to the fires, described by Premier Scott Moe as “dangerous and unpredictable.”

Evacuation orders were also issued in Alberta, where Reuters reported that blazes disrupted …