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US Wildfires Send Haze Across Continent, Beyond

Associated Press

   The smoke from dozens of wildfires in the western United States is
   stretching clear across the country -- and even pushing into Mexico,
   Canada and Europe. While the dangerous plumes are forcing people
   indoors along the West Coast, residents thousands of kilometers away in
   the East are seeing unusually hazy skies and remarkable sunsets.

   The wildfires racing across tinder-dry landscape in California, Idaho,
   Oregon and Washington are extraordinary, but the long reach of their
   smoke isn't unprecedented. While there are only small pockets in the
   southeastern U.S. that are haze free, experts say the smoke poses less
   of a health concern for those who are farther away.

   The sun was transformed into a perfect orange orb as it set over New
   York City on Tuesday. Photographs of it sinking behind the skyline and
   glinting through tree leaves flooded social media. On Wednesday, New
   Jersey residents described a yellow tinge to the overcast skies, and
   weather forecasters were kept busy explaining the phenomenon and making
   predictions as to how long the conditions would last.

   Fire crews still working

   On the opposite coast, air quality conditions were among the worst ever
   recorded. Smoke cloaked the Golden Gate Bridge and left Portland and
   Seattle in an ashy fog, as crews have exhausted themselves trying to
   keep the flames from consuming more homes and even wider swaths of
   forest.

   Satellite images showed that smoke from the wildfires has traveled
   almost 8,000 kilometers to Britain and other parts of northern Europe,
   scientists said Wednesday.

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