From New York To California: Where Wildfire Smoke Is Making the Air Dangerous to Breathe

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In what has become the driest fall in recorded history, 87.8% of the contiguous U.S. is currently abnormally dry, the largest share since the U.S. Drought Monitor began tracking national drought conditions in 1999. Extensive dry vegetation and high winds have led to an abnormally long and busy wildfire season, with more than a dozen major wildfires in 13 states collectively burning over 400,000 acres throughout the United States.

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A Tree Burns In Brooklyn? Fire Breaks Out In NYC’s Prospect Park

A brush fire broke out in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park on Friday, while crews from the New York City Fire Department worked to contain a 127-acre blaze in neighboring Connecticut. Large swaths of smoke from the tri-state fires are drifting north into Vermont, while large fires in the western U.S. are having measurable impacts on air quality in Washington and Oregon. A closer look at the data reveals where wildfire smoke is causing dangerous degradations in air quality right now.

To determine the cities where wildfires are reducing air quality, Climate Crisis 247 reviewed data on particulate matter concentrations from the EPA’s AirNow program and spatial data on wildfire surface smoke from the National Weather Service. Counties were ranked based on the percentage change in PM2.5 concentration from 2019-2023 baselines to present-day readings for November 10, 2024. Only counties with at least 1 microgram per cubic meter of wildfire smoke particulate as of November 10, 2024 were considered.

25. Columbia County, OR

• Current PM2.5 concentration: 16.6 µg/m³ (2.1 times normal)
• Wildfire smoke concentration: 0-3 µg/m³
• County seat: Saint Helens

 

24. Calaveras County, CA

• Current PM2.5 concentration: 16.2 µg/m³ (2.1 times normal)
• Wildfire smoke concentration: 0-3 µg/m³
• County seat: San Andreas

 

23. Bennington County, VT

• Current PM2.5 concentration: 13.1 µg/m³ (2.2 times normal)
• Wildfire smoke concentration: 0-3 µg/m³
• County seat: Manchester

 

22. Albany County, NY

• Current PM2.5 concentration: 12.5 µg/m³ (2.2 times normal)
• Wildfire smoke concentration: 0-3 µg/m³
• County seat: Albany

 

21. Schenectady County, NY

• Current PM2.5 concentration: 12.4 µg/m³ (2.2 times normal)
• Wildfire smoke concentration: 0-3 µg/m³
• County seat: Schenectady

 

20. Saratoga County, NY

• Current PM2.5 concentration: 12.6 µg/m³ (2.2 times normal)
• Wildfire smoke concentration: 0-3 µg/m³
• County seat: Ballston Spa

 

19. Rensselaer County, NY

• Current PM2.5 concentration: 12.7 µg/m³ (2.2 times normal)
• Wildfire smoke concentration: 0-3 µg/m³
• County seat: Troy

 

18. Grant County, WA

• Current PM2.5 concentration: 22.6 µg/m³ (2.3 times normal)
• Wildfire smoke concentration: 0-3 µg/m³
• County seat: Ephrata

 

17. Stevens County, WA

• Current PM2.5 concentration: 26.5 µg/m³ (2.3 times normal)
• Wildfire smoke concentration: 0-3 µg/m³
• County seat: Colville

 

16. Kitsap County, WA

• Current PM2.5 concentration: 14.1 µg/m³ (2.4 times normal)
• Wildfire smoke concentration: 0-3 µg/m³
• County seat: Port Orchard

 

15. Bonner County, ID

• Current PM2.5 concentration: 25.6 µg/m³ (2.5 times normal)
• Wildfire smoke concentration: 0-3 µg/m³
• County seat: Sandpoint

 

14. Benton County, WA

• Current PM2.5 concentration: 23.5 µg/m³ (2.5 times normal)
• Wildfire smoke concentration: 0-3 µg/m³
• County seat: Prosser

 

13. Douglas County, WA

• Current PM2.5 concentration: 31.5 µg/m³ (2.6 times normal)
• Wildfire smoke concentration: 0-3 µg/m³
• County seat: Waterville

 

12. Okanogan County, WA

• Current PM2.5 concentration: 32.0 µg/m³ (2.7 times normal)
• Wildfire smoke concentration: 0-3 µg/m³
• County seat: Okanogan

 

11. Multnomah County, OR

• Current PM2.5 concentration: 21.1 µg/m³ (2.8 times normal)
• Wildfire smoke concentration: 0-3 µg/m³
• County seat: Portland

 

10. Clackamas County, OR

• Current PM2.5 concentration: 20.4 µg/m³ (2.9 times normal)
• Wildfire smoke concentration: 0-3 µg/m³
• County seat: Oregon City

 

9. Kittitas County, WA

• Current PM2.5 concentration: 22.3 µg/m³ (2.9 times normal)
• Wildfire smoke concentration: 0-3 µg/m³
• County seat: Ellensburg

 

8. Yakima County, WA

• Current PM2.5 concentration: 29.8 µg/m³ (3.0 times normal)
• Wildfire smoke concentration: 0-3 µg/m³
• County seat: Yakima

 

7. Mason County, WA

• Current PM2.5 concentration: 18.6 µg/m³ (3.3 times normal)
• Wildfire smoke concentration: 0-3 µg/m³
• County seat: Shelton

 

6. Flathead County, MT

• Current PM2.5 concentration: 24.5 µg/m³ (3.3 times normal)
• Wildfire smoke concentration: 0-3 µg/m³
• County seat: Kalispell

 

5. Yamhill County, OR

• Current PM2.5 concentration: 25.6 µg/m³ (3.3 times normal)
• Wildfire smoke concentration: 0-3 µg/m³
• County seat: McMinnville

 

4. Washington County, OR

• Current PM2.5 concentration: 25.6 µg/m³ (3.3 times normal)
• Wildfire smoke concentration: 0-3 µg/m³
• County seat: Hillsboro

 

3. Marion County, OR

• Current PM2.5 concentration: 23.4 µg/m³ (3.5 times normal)
• Wildfire smoke concentration: 0-3 µg/m³
• County seat: Salem

 

2. Spokane County, WA

• Current PM2.5 concentration: 24.6 µg/m³ (3.7 times normal)
• Wildfire smoke concentration: 0-3 µg/m³
• County seat: Spokane

 

1. Chelan County, WA

• Current PM2.5 concentration: 27.0 µg/m³ (3.9 times normal)
• Wildfire smoke concentration: 0-3 µg/m³
• County seat: Wenatchee

 

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