Air quality news
Alaska Fire Evacuations and Oregon Smoke — August 18, 2026
Canairy · 5 min read · 2026-08-18
A busy day on both ends of the country: evacuations in interior Alaska, a multi-county smoke advisory in Oregon, and rising fire danger in North Texas. Overseas, one of Belgium's largest wildfires is still burning.
Evacuations ordered as a fire moves through Tok, Alaska
A fast-moving wildfire along the Alaska Highway in Tok prompted evacuation orders and an urgent firefighting response Monday, the Anchorage Daily News reports. Evacuations were underway north of the highway from Sundog Trail to Midnight Sun Drive, according to the Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection, with residents directed to Mushers Hall.
State fire spokesman Sam Harrel said the wind-driven fire moved rapidly through Tok's neighborhoods and that a southwest wind was pushing flames toward the Tanana River. Officials said it appears a downed power line sparked the fire, though they had not yet established an official cause. Photos from Monday afternoon show a large and growing smoke column.
Oregon issues a smoke advisory for four counties
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued an air quality advisory on Aug. 17 for Crook, Hood River, Jefferson and southern Wasco counties because of smoke from multiple wildfires burning in the state, the Statesman Journal reports. DEQ also expects intermittent smoke in western Umatilla County.
Poor air quality is expected to continue in those areas through at least the afternoon of Aug. 19. If you live under the advisory, this is a good stretch to keep windows closed and check conditions before spending a long time outside.
North Texas fire danger climbs through midweek
Wildfire risk is expected to increase across North Texas this week as the region heads into another prolonged run of hot, dry weather, according to The Dallas Morning News. Several counties in the Dallas-Fort Worth area are forecast to see higher fire risk, with conditions worsening into Wednesday, per the Texas A&M Forest Service.
Persistent heat and a lack of meaningful rain are drying out grass and vegetation, which lets fires start and spread more easily.
New York City's congestion toll shows little air-quality change
New York City's $9 congestion toll produced nearly no measurable change in pollution during its first year, according to the city's own analysis, as the New York Post reports. The Health Department report, released Friday, looked at four traffic-related pollutants inside Manhattan's Congestion Relief Zone and found overall pollution levels largely unchanged, with no statistically significant improvement attributable to the toll. Officials still described the study as the city's most comprehensive look yet at the program's air-quality effects, pointing to reduced traffic, transit improvements and less traffic noise.
The findings drew pushback from Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella, who questioned how the city could report increased truck traffic on the Staten Island Expressway and no increase in pollutants, the Staten Island Advance reports.
One of Belgium's biggest wildfires is still burning
A major wildfire in Belgium's eastern High Fens blazed out of control Monday, even as cooler weather and morning rain eased conditions for hundreds of firefighters working in remote, hilly country, per Arkansas Online. A forest ranger said the fire could keep burning underground in peaty soil for months and flare up sporadically. In Greece, a fire briefly flared near the main airport outside Athens.
Europe is going through one of its hottest and driest summers on record, which a recent study said was fueled by climate change.
California weighs a five-foot "Zone 0" around homes
California homeowners in high wildfire risk zones could face new maintenance rules as soon as September under a proposed "Zone 0" regulation, the New York Post reports. The rule would create a mandatory ember-resistant buffer in the first five feet around a home or structure, requiring removal of combustible material such as weeds, leaves, branches and plants, with some fencing and gates potentially needing replacement.
CAL FIRE says the first five feet matter most, and recommends hardscape like gravel near buildings, structures and decks to keep embers from igniting material that can carry fire to a house.
Sources
- Evacuations ordered after rapidly growing wildfire starts in Tok near Alaska Highway — Anchorage Daily News
- Smoke causing poor air quality in central, eastern Oregon — Salem Statesman Journal
- North Texas wildfire risk persists this week amid hot, dry stretch — The Dallas Morning News
- NYC drivers shell out $9 congestion toll. City admits it failed to improve air quality — New York Post
- BP Fossella slams 'nonsense' in NYC congestion pricing study as traffic rises on Staten Island — Staten Island Advance
- Belgium wildfire continues to rage — Arkansas Online
- California homeowners held to higher standards in maintaining homes under proposed new law — New York Post
Canairy aggregates publicly reported air-quality and wildfire news and summarizes it in plain English, with links to the original sources. This is educational information, not medical or emergency advice. In a wildfire or air-quality emergency, follow guidance from local authorities.