To soak up the glory of summer in Michigan, Martha Cavazos and a group of friends planned a camping trip about an hour north of home in Detroit for early June. Then Canada’s worst fire season on record began, spreading smoke across North America. They pushed their trip back, hoping air quality concerns would clear up enough to enjoy their trip safely — but the smoke held.
“Coming out of covid, camping was the main thing we got to do for the last couple of summers that felt safe and secure,” said Cavazos, 34. “So it was just really bizarre and a surreal experience to make that call like … I don’t think we can sleep outside.”
Millions of Americans have been exposed to unhealthy levels of smoke pollution, and the dangerous conditions are expected to continue through the summer, because Canadian fires could rage until snow falls. Wildfire smoke that turned the sky orange along the U.S. East Coast in June has reappeared in July, dropping air quality Monday to unhealthy levels for vulnerable populations in cities such as Pittsburgh, Chicago and Nashville.
“Whether it’s in Europe, into Asia or North America … we are seeing more fires,” said Frank Harrison, regional security director at the travel risk-management company World Travel Protection and former firefighter who lives in Toronto. “And the intensity, the impact and the severity is increasing.”
Given the consistent uptick, Harrison said travelers — particularly those with preexisting conditions — will need to make informed choices when it comes to their trips. Here are some factors to consider.
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