▲ The sky over Toronto, Canada, turned a yellowish-brown hue due to wildfires on July 15 (local time).
More than 800 wildfires are currently burning across Canada.
Smoke from these fires has spread not only across Canada but also into the northeastern United States, putting major cities in both countries on high alert for air quality.
According to foreign media outlets including NBC and Reuters on July 15 (local time), there were a total of 835 active wildfires across Canada as of that day.
Of these, 112 are classified as out of control, exceeding the containment capabilities of authorities.
The wildfires are concentrated in central regions, including Manitoba and Ontario, and have burned 1.9 million hectares of land so far.
The Canadian government attributes the spread of the wildfires to an abnormal heat wave occurring nationwide.
In particular, air quality in Toronto has deteriorated sharply as large amounts of smoke from wildfires in northwestern Ontario have drifted into the major city.
On that day, Toronto's Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) reached the highest risk level of 10 or above.
Toronto's air pollution level briefly ranked first in the world, surpassing cities such as Delhi, India.
In downtown Toronto, the sky turned a yellowish-brown color due to the smoke, and visibility worsened to the point where the city skyline became faint.
As air pollution levels surged, the city of Toronto completely canceled outdoor World Cup public viewing events that had been scheduled in city squares.
The hazardous smoke has crossed the border, drifting into the U.S. Midwest and Northeast.
The U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) forecast that the hazardous haze would spread to Washington, D.C., by July 16 and could persist through the latter part of this week.
Reports of the sky turning a yellowish-brown color have poured in not only from Canada but also from U.S. states including Michigan, Wisconsin, Maine, and Massachusetts.
Media outlets in Toronto, Canada, and Boston, U.S., reported reactions such as "Did we wake up on Mars?", "The sky is stained with a bizarre light," and "The sky has turned a hellish color."
New York City also issued an alert and urged residents to refrain from outdoor activities as its air quality deteriorated to the fifth worst in the world.
Authorities are particularly concerned ahead of the World Cup final, which is expected to draw 80,000 spectators at an outdoor stadium in New Jersey on July 19, as well as an outdoor viewing event in Central Park expected to host 50,000 people.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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