Cough, Cough: Canadian Wildfire Smoke Reaches Philly
And it's expected to remain here into Friday ... and likely return.
Philadelphia buried in the haze of the Canadian wildfire smoke on Thursday, July 16, 2026. The Philadelphia weather report includes smoke. Lots and lots of smoke. / Photograph by Victor Fiorillo
When I woke up at 7 a.m. on Thursday morning, the first thing I did — well, after getting a cup of coffee, of course — was to check the weather in Philadelphia to see if I can give my air conditioners a break. And the first word to appear in the description of Philadelphia’s weather on Thursday? Smoke.
Sure enough, I walked outside and noticed the unmistakable smell of burnt wood in the air, a certain haziness in the sky, and a most unusual appearance to the sun high above, struggling to peek through not clouds but the smoke that has arrived from our neighbors to the north in Canada.
You may remember Canadian wildfire smoke reaching the Philadelphia area in 2023 and 2025, which turned out to be the worst years in recorded history for the fires in Canada. This year’s wildfire season started off relatively slowly, but that’s all changed.
A view of a Canadian wildfire-encloaked Camden from Philadelphia on Thursday, July 16, 2026 / Photograph by Bradford Pearson
According to the latest information from officials at Natural Resources Canada, there are more than 835 wildfires burning across Canada right now, with roughly one-sixth of those fires being completely out of control. The fires span from Manitoba and Saskatchewan in the west to the Ontario province in the east, Ontario being a straight 400-mile shot due north of Philadelphia. According to Natural Resources Canada, the wildfires aren’t expected to stop anytime soon, and we can expect more. And depending on the direction of the prevailing winds, which carry the smoke down the Eastern Seaboard, Philadelphia could expect more smoke from the Canadian wildfires in the weeks and months to come.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection just declared a Code Red Air Quality Action Day for Thursday because of the smoke that has arrived from Canada. Bonus: we’re getting smoke from Minnesota as well.
University of Pennsylvania physician Mike Cirigliano, aka Dr. Mike, cautions that people with asthma or underlying lung conditions need to be particularly careful in these circumstances. “The wood particulates from fires are microns in size, extremely small, and they can get into your lungs and really wreak havoc,” explains Cirigliano, going on to suggest that even healthy people should limit their exposure to the smoke as well. “Stay indoors if you can. If you can’t, you might want to wear an N-95 mask. This is serious stuff.”
My son couldn’t agree more. “The smell is really bad in the city,” he texted me on Thursday morning at 8:32 a.m. “My nose and lungs burn just from walking from 34th Street to 32nd Street.”
According to the latest forecasts, the smoky conditions in Philadelphia are expected to continue through Thursday night into Friday and then improve as the day goes on. Meanwhile, Philadelphia is expected to reach a high of 94 on Thursday. So, no, doesn’t look like my air conditioner is getting a break. And if you think you’re going to escape the smoke by heading to the Jersey Shore today, think again. The wildfire smoke is there, too.
