Democracy Dies in Darkness

Wildfire smoke is eroding decades of air quality improvements, study finds

The onslaught of wildfire smoke amid a warming climate has rolled back years of air quality gains in the U.S.

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Updated September 20, 2023 at 11:32 a.m. EDT|Published September 20, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. EDT
People gather to watch firefighting efforts amid heavy smoke from the Eagle Bluff Fire in Osoyoos, B.C., on July 30. (Jesse Winter/Reuters)
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In more than a half century since the Clean Air Act was enacted, there have been dramatic improvements in air quality in the United States, as regulations demanding less-polluting cars and factories helped lift cities from clouds of dirty smog.

But a big chunk of recent air quality progress has been rolled back for one reason — wildfire smoke — and it’s happening far beyond the smoldering forests of Western states.