Lahore Smog Moves a Cricket Test and Wild River Fire Half Contained

Today's news runs from a smog-driven schedule change in Pakistan to steady progress on a New Hampshire wildfire, plus three policy stories about how wildfires get fought and paid for.

Lahore smog forces a Test match to move

The Pakistan Cricket Board has moved the second Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka from Lahore to Rawalpindi because of rising smog. The match keeps its original dates, November 17 to 21. The Punjab Environmental Protection Agency reported that Lahore's Air Quality Index had reached the hazardous level of 421, as the Associated Press reports via WTOP.

Cricket Addictor adds that, according to the air-quality company IQAir, Lahore had the worst air quality among cities worldwide at the time, and that broadcasters had reportedly raised concerns about television coverage in heavy smog. The two teams are already in Rawalpindi for the first Test, so neither has to travel.

Wild River Fire is more than half contained

The Wild River Fire in New Hampshire's White Mountain National Forest, just over the Maine border, stands at 821 acres and 53% containment, the U.S. Forest Service said Tuesday. That is up from roughly 20% on Friday and 29% on Sunday, according to the Portland Press Herald.

The response peaked at 140 assigned personnel on Friday and was down to 88 as of Tuesday. The Forest Service said fire behavior has moderated, and it noted that recent rain has helped it release some personnel.

Washington officials ask lawmakers for wildfire funding

Washington's Commissioner of Public Lands, Dave Upthegrove, said more than 1,500 fires burned nearly 1 million acres across the state this year, and he called it the most destructive summer for wildfires in recorded history. At a season recap press conference on Tuesday, he and local officials asked the Legislature to keep funding wildfire preparedness, the Spokesman-Review reports.

The request centers on a 2021 state law that committed $125 million every two years, for eight years, to wildfire preparedness and forest restoration. Cindy Marchand, chairwoman of the Colville Confederated Tribes, said almost 200,000 acres burned on her reservation this year. The state has not yet totaled this season's suppression costs.

White House exempts firefighting from water pollution rules for a year

A presidential memorandum exempts federal firefighting activities, including the aerial use of fire retardants, from federal, state, interstate, and local water pollution control requirements. The exemption covers the U.S. Forest Service, the Department of the Interior, other agencies, and their contractors, and it runs for one year beginning November 10, 2026, according to the memorandum text republished by Europe Says.

The memorandum notes that aspects of these activities are the subject of ongoing litigation involving the Forest Service in federal court in Montana.

A state-run wildfire insurance idea draws doubts in California

Jane Kim, the apparent winner of California's insurance commissioner race, has proposed having the state insure wildfire losses while private companies cover other homeowner risks. The idea has drawn skepticism from both insurers and consumer advocates, the Press Democrat reports.

Kim points to a similar program in New Zealand and has acknowledged that her proposal needs further study. The debate follows several years in which insurers dropped coverage for thousands of homeowners in high-risk areas, pushing many onto the California FAIR Plan.

Sources

Smog levels in Lahore force Pakistan to shift 2nd test against Sri Lanka to Rawalpindi — WTOP
PCB announces venue change for 2nd Pakistan-Sri Lanka Test, dates remain unchanged — Cricket Addictor
Wildfire in White Mountain National Forest more than 50% contained — Portland Press Herald
Upthegrove, local officials implore Legislature for wildfire funding on heels of historic wildfire season — Spokane Spokesman-Review
Presidential Determination Concerning Wildfire Suppression Activities in the United States - The White House — EUROPE SAYS
Jane Kim’s California wildfire insurance plan faces skepticism — Santa Rosa Press Democrat

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.