Smoke from Canadian wildfires hits northern US, prompts air quality alerts
Smoke from Canadian wildfires blankets major northern U.S. cities, prompting dangerous air quality alerts in 15 states for more than 100 million Americans. Health experts emphasize the serious short- and long-term risks of fine particles, including worsening asthma, heart disease and possible cancer risks.
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The wildfires in Canada have had adverse effects in the Midwest and Northeast, affecting some sports competitions.
On Thursday, a Major League Soccer game was postponed, while an MLB game in Philadelphia had to be moved up an hour due to concerns.
With the unofficial second half of the Major League Baseball season underway Friday, five games were scheduled to be played in affected areas, and several made some logistical changes.
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Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, during a game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets on July 16, 2026. The Mets defeated the Phillies 4-1. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Here are the game updates.
Los Angeles Dodgers @ New York Yankees, 7:05 p.m. ET
The Yankees postponed a game in 2023 due to poor air quality, although at the time it was more than double the 150-degree range it has been this week.
The quality in New York improved throughout the day and the game is scheduled to be played.
Chicago White Sox @ Toronto Blue Jays, 7:15 p.m. ET
Of course, the Blue Jays play in the country where the wildfires originated, which is causing concern. The city was at dangerous levels on Thursday night, but reached a “low health risk” on Friday afternoon. However, nearby Ontario cities still had high levels of health risk in the afternoon.
Fortunately, the Blue Jays play under a retractable roof at Rogers Centre, and the team announced shortly after 1 pm ET that the roof would be closed due to air quality.
The Blue Jays say that if a game begins with the roof closed, it “may still be opened before the end of the sixth inning if the umpiring crew chief and MLB officials agree that the weather has changed in a manner that ensures fan comfort and enjoyment.” Normally, the roof can change its state only once per game.
A general view of Citizens Bank Park during the hazy conditions of the Canadian wildfires in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The game between the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Phillies was postponed due to poor air quality. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
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Miami Marlins @ Milwaukee Brewers, 7:40 p.m. ET
At 1:10 p.m. ET, the air quality in Milwaukee was “very unhealthy” with an index of 287, but dropped to 133 by 5 p.m. The Brewers said the game would be played as normally scheduled (American Family Field has a retractable roof), but fans were given the option to change their tickets to another game this season if they preferred.
Milwaukee has similar regulations for its roof to those of the Blue Jays, in that it must be “closed only in the event of impending rain or other adverse weather conditions”, and the roof can only be opened if “in the opinion of the home club, the climatic environment has reached a level at which the comfort and enjoyment of fans will be best served by opening the roof to natural atmospheric conditions.”
Pittsburgh Pirates @ Cleveland Guardians, 7:10 p.m. ET
At 3:00 pm ET, the Guardians posted their lineup on social media. But less than two hours later, they announced the game was postponed to Saturday as part of a day-night doubleheader. If fans are unable to attend the make-up, they can redeem their tickets for a future match.
A view of Progressive Field as smoke from the Canadian wildfires covers the sky during the third inning of the Houston Astros-Cleveland Guardians game in Cleveland, Ohio, on June 6, 2025. (Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
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At 5:00 p.m. ET, the air quality in Cleveland was at 209, labeled “very unhealthy.” Nearby Akron reached “dangerous” levels near 500 Thursday night.
Minnesota Twins @ Chicago Cubs, 8:05 p.m. ET
The air quality index was a “very unhealthy” 241 in the Windy City in the afternoon, but dropped to 138 later. This is a rare Friday night game at Wrigley, but starting at 5:10 pm ET, it will be played.
