North America Smoke Plumes
Wildfires in Canada and U.S. Produce Widespread Smoke Drifting Across Continent
Key Points
Heavy-density smoke layers: a regional layer of heavy-density smoke dispersing east from Nunavut across Hudson Bay to northern Quebec, with a separate heavy-density smoke layer over Hudson and western Quebec.
Light-density smoke extends southward from the fires and merges with smoke from the southwestern U.S., dispersing across much of eastern CONUS.
Northern CONUS: a regional layer of medium-density smoke drifting southeast from the northeastern U.S. into the Atlantic Ocean.
Southwestern U.S. fires: moderate-to-heavy smoke drifts northeastward across the Midwest into Ontario, merging with the broader Canada-wide smoke.
A massive smoke canopy is blanketing most of North America on July 2, 2026, as wildfires rage across Canada and the southwestern United States. Heavy-density smoke layers are pushing east from Nunavut across Hudson Bay into Quebec, while fires in Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado send thick plumes northeast into the Midwest and Ontario, according to Wildfire and Smoke Map.
The death toll from the crisis has reached six — three federal firefighters killed in a burnover on Colorado's Snyder Fire on June 29, and three personnel lost in a Canadian aviation crash on June 26, according to Wildfire Today. The U.S. National Preparedness Level now stands at Level 4, with more than 9,000 personnel assigned to 51 uncontained large fires nationwide, NIFC reported.
Heavy Smoke Pours East From Nunavut to the Atlantic
Several fires across Canada are producing individual moderate-to-heavy density smoke plumes, according to Wildfire and Smoke Map. The heaviest layers are dispersing east from Nunavut across Hudson Bay into northern Quebec. A separate heavy-density layer sits over Hudson Bay and western Quebec. The combined plume stretches over Labrador and Newfoundland before drifting southwest toward the Atlantic Ocean.
Quebec's wildfire agency, SOPFEU, reported 107 active fires as of June 30 — 88 burning in the northern zone alone, CBC News reported. Environment and Climate Change Canada issued an orange air quality warning, meaning conditions are unhealthy for sensitive groups. Meteorologist Simon Legault warned that incoming rain carries a risk of lightning, which could "create some other wildfires" rather than bringing relief, according to CBC News.
Southwest U.S. Fires Kill Three, Trigger Emergency Declarations
Fires in Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado exploded in size between June 27 and 28. Relative humidity dropped as low as 3%, and wind gusts hit 45 mph, driving what NIFC called "explosive" fire growth. Utah's Cottonwood Fire grew to 146 square miles — roughly 93,000 acres — and destroyed parts of a ski resort, according to PBS.
Three federal firefighters died in a burnover on the Snyder Fire near the Colorado-Utah border on June 29, the Interior Department confirmed. Colorado Governor Jared Polis declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard, according to WNEP. Utah Governor Spencer Cox banned fireworks for the July 4th holiday, citing "unprecedented behavior" from fires fueled by record-low snowpack.
Smoke Reaches Cuba and the Atlantic as Health Risks Spread
Light-to-moderate smoke from the southwestern U.S. fires is merging with Canadian plumes and spreading across much of the eastern United States. A mid-density layer is moving southeast from the northeastern U.S. into the Atlantic Ocean. Cuba is also experiencing light-to-moderate smoke drifting southwestward, while a light-density layer stretches from the California coast across much of the United States and Mexico, Wildfire and Smoke Map reported.
PM2.5 air pollution — tiny particles that damage lungs — has hit orange and red levels across affected regions, according to ECCC. The situation is especially dire in Cuba, where an ongoing economic crisis and widespread power outages make air filtration nearly impossible for most residents, Miami Herald reported. Wildfire analyst Zeke Lunder noted that fires in the interior West are running "five to nine miles in a single afternoon."
Communities Cut Off as Canada Declares Local Emergencies
Labrador City, Newfoundland and Labrador, declared a state of emergency on July 1 as fast-moving fires forced evacuations in the Walsh River area, CBC News reported. Quebec's Route 389 is closed with no detours available. The access road to the Cree community of Chisasibi is also shut down, leaving residents isolated and facing dangerous air quality.
Experts warned the fires could "destabilize Quebec wildlife for years to come," fundamentally changing the boreal forest ecosystem, according to CBC News. The 2026 season is unfolding against a backdrop of record-low snowpack and the warmest winter on record in parts of the West, Inside Climate News reported. Analysts note the season is on track to rival 2025, when Canadian fires burned 8.78 million hectares.
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