Brown carbon, emitted by wildland fires and tracked over the span of a week in July 2026, worsened air quality in parts of the U.S. and Canada.

Smoky and orange skies could be a new normal in the summer months in the Midwest and Northeast U.S., but it isn't a seasonal occurrence yet.

More episodes of wildfire smoke are in the offing for parts of Canada and the midwestern and northeastern United States.