Millions of people across the Great Lakes, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic endured another day of unhealthy air Friday as smoke from uncontrolled wildfires continued to blanket much of the eastern United States.
The thick smoke shrouded the nation's capital in a gloomy, eerie haze and forced the Cleveland Guardians to postpone their Major League Baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Ohio.
Air quality alerts warning of hazardous conditions were expected to remain in effect through Saturday across a broad swath of the country, although weekend storms could bring temporary relief to some of the hardest-hit areas.
In Washington, D.C., resident Stewart Verdery climbed to his rooftop at sunrise expecting his usual view of the city's iconic landmarks. Instead, he found a darkened skyline with the monuments completely obscured by smoke.
"It's pretty crazy to wake up at sunrise and not see the sun when it's not even raining," he said by phone after posting a video of the surreal scene on X. "And it smells like somebody's having the world's largest cookout."
