Why America Keeps Choking on Wildfire Smoke

The article argues that the U.S. and Canada are failing to prevent catastrophic wildfires due to insufficient fuels treatment, such as forest thinning and prescribed burning. It notes that in July 2026, smoke from Canadian wildfires caused severe air quality alerts across the Midwest and Northeast, affecting over 100 million Americans. The authors critique both climate change explanations and political blame (e.g., President Trump blaming Canada) as incomplete, emphasizing that a century of fire suppression and neglect of forest management has created excessive fuel loads. They cite a study estimating that Canada's 2023 fires contributed to 33,000 premature deaths in the U.S. and released massive carbon emissions. The piece calls for targeted fuels treatment to reduce fire intensity and improve containment chances.