Out-of-control wildfires in the Canadian province of Ontario are sending dangerous smoke into the United States, exposing millions of people to hazardous air quality conditions. On Thursday, the Manhattan skyline was obscured by thick haze, and Chicago closed its beaches due to the unhealthy air.

On Thursday afternoon, tracker IQAir listed Minneapolis, Detroit, and Chicago as the top three most polluted cities in the world. In New York, state authorities warned of fine particulate matter from the fires, making the outdoors "unhealthy" for everyone across the New York metro area and Long Island. Mayor Zohran Mamdani warned of a "serious threat" posed by the combination of heavy heat and unsafe air, with libraries and train stations offering free masks to residents.

In Chicago, the poor air quality led to the postponement of a Major League Soccer game between the Chicago Fire and the Vancouver Whitecaps. The city's beaches were closed, and officials issued health warnings as the Air Quality Index (AQI) reached hazardous levels. In Detroit, a number of businesses closed due to the poor air quality, and officials in Wayne County distributed approximately 70,000 face masks to seniors to help protect them.

Michigan lawmakers have called on Canada to take more action to address the wildfire smoke drifting over the border. In a joint letter to the Canadian government, U.S. Representatives Jack Bergman, John James, Lisa McClain, and John Moolenaar expressed their concerns about the impact of the smoke on American citizens. "We were told last year that this would be treated with urgency. It was not," the letter stated. The lawmakers argued that Canada has not done enough to address the causes of the wildfires, including chronic under-investment in forest management and inadequate enforcement against arson.

The wildfires have been particularly severe in Ontario, where the situation has worsened in recent days. Toronto reported the worst air quality in the world, with at least 1.9 million hectares of land affected by the fires. The smoke has combined with a heatwave that has swept across the western United States and Canada, exacerbating the conditions.

Ontario has requested federal assistance to evacuate people from remote northern Canadian communities ravaged by the wildfires. The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre reported 858 active fires across Canada on Thursday.

In Wisconsin, farm workers reported feeling tightness in their chests as they worked in the muggy heat and hazy smoke. "We are all thinking of the delicate balance of growing food in this type of future, and remarking how we can't imagine what it will be like here in 100 years," said Erin Lucey, a worker on an organic vegetable farm in south-central Wisconsin.

The city's Department of Emergency Management warned that this could become the most significant smoke event in New York City since 2023, when the air quality index reached a dangerous 465.

The start time for the MLB game between the New York Mets and the Phillies in Philadelphia was moved up by one hour due to air quality concerns. The MLS game in Chicago was postponed, and a football game in Toledo, Ohio, was also affected by the hazardous air quality.

Ontario has sought federal support for evacuations as wildfires devastate remote Canadian towns. The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre reported 858 active fires across Canada on Thursday.

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