NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory

From flames to haze, wildfire smoke transforms as it travels, and it can harm your health in different ways

<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/755471/original/file-20260821-50-js8a2v.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.1&rect=0%2C1%2C7988%2C5325&q=45&auto=format&w=1050&h=700&fit=crop" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Wildfire smoke from Canadian fires has turned New York City's sky a hazy orange several times in recent years. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/person-wearing-a-face-mask-takes-photos-of-the-skyline-as-news-photo/1258513267?adppopup=true">Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As wildfire smoke plumes travel thousands of miles, sunlight and atmospheric chemistry bleach their color, strip away their campfire aroma and add them to the mix of urban smog.</p> <p>Smoky skies <a href="https://theconversation.com/yes-breathing-wildfire-smoke-can-harm-your-health-heres-what-you-can-do-to-protect-yourself-287668">plagued the East Coast and Midwest again</a