Smoke from nearly 900 active wildfires in Canada has created hazardous air quality and orange skies across the Midwest and Northeast United States, prompting health warnings and disruptions to professional sports events on Thursday, July 16, 2026.

Residents in affected areas were urged to stay indoors and wear masks if they needed to go outside due to the poor air quality. Fox Weather correspondent Katie Byrne reported live from Cleveland on the extensive smoke impacting major cities including New York, Boston, and Washington D.C., with relief expected soon.

The air quality concerns led to the postponement of a Chicago Fire MLS match and the Philadelphia Phillies announcing roughly three hours before the scheduled first pitch that their game against the New York Mets, originally set for 7:10 p.m., would be pushed up by an hour. This disruption added to a slow day in sports as some scheduled games were altered due to the unhealthy air.

The National Women’s Soccer League held a game at Citi Field that became the most-attended women’s sports contest in New York history, with 42,175 fans watching Gotham FC face the Washington Spirit.

Commenting on the conditions, one individual stated, "If we have to have a hydration break every 15 minutes, then we shouldn’t be playing the game, and that’s my opinion." Another noted the logistical challenges, saying, "But at the end of the day, there’s 40,000 people. It’s a whole event, so it’s really tough. It’s just a really hard situation for everyone to work around."

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill acknowledged the air quality issues could affect events such as the upcoming World Cup final at nearby MetLife Stadium but expressed optimism that conditions would improve in time.

Sources