Smoke from Canadian wildfires makes Detroit, Minneapolis, and New York some of the world's most polluted cities

On July 16, 2026, IQAir ranked Detroit, Minneapolis, and New York among the world's most polluted major cities. Smoke from Northern Ontario wildfires blew across the Great Lakes into the Northeast and Midwest. The National Weather Service confirmed the smoke. Toronto had the worst air quality worldwide on July 15, scoring 10+ on a health index.