California Wildfire Smoke Spreads 3,000 Miles Away to New York

The haze has enveloped Washington, DC and other East Coast cities.

Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

This story was originally published by the Guardian and appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

The US East Coast has been provided a firsthand reminder of the deadly California wildfires after smoke swept across the country and caused a haze to envelop the eastern seaboard, including Washington, DC and New York City.

Hazy skies were reported in several places on the East Coast from smoke wafting from 3,000 miles further west, where wildfires in California have killed more than 80 people and razed more than 15,000 homes and other structures.

An unusually dense fog shrouded the top of New York City skyscrapers and the sunset was particularly intense due to the smoke particles in the air. “Wow. I knew tonight’s sunset over New York City seemed different, and I should’ve realized,” tweeted Kathryn Prociv, a meteorologist on the Today Show. “Wildfire smoke is in the air, all the way from California.”

Donald Trump visited the areas affected last weekend and created controversy by refusing to acknowledge climate change as a major factor, getting the name of the incinerated town of Paradise wrong, once again blaming forest management and arguing for leaf-raking as a key factor in prevention.

More Mother Jones reporting on Climate Desk

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