https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/07/20/metro/why-is-sky-so-hazy-blame-wildfires-west/
Smoky skies are settling in over New England this week because of distant wildfires burning across Canada and the western part of the United States.
One of those — the Bootleg Fire — has been burning for two weeks in southwestern Oregon and has consumed more than 364,000 acres, according to Oregon fire officials. It’s the largest wildfire in the United States so far this year.
… Officials recommend that people who are unusually sensitive should consider reducing exercise outdoors as some pollutants may be a moderate health concern for a small group.
… Climate change is wreaking havoc across the western US, where a dangerous heatwave has killed hundreds of people in recent weeks.
As the climate warms, the west is increasingly primed for disastrous wildfires. More than half of the acres burned in the western US each year can be attributed to climate change, according to a 2016 study. Without aggressive action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, another study found that forests in Northern California, Oregon, and Washington could see an increase of more than 78 percent in area burned by 2050.