Wildfires in Canada have burned nearly 6.5 million acres of land and forced thousands of evacuations. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Meteorologist Brad Rippey says the smoke is now impacting conditions here in the United States.
“Some of that smoke has been at ground level and has resulted in significant degradations in air quality, very thick, heavy haze, and some visibility reductions,” Rippey said on a call with media this week. “And so [that could affect] folks with sensitivity to particulate matter, as that has been a problem for several days across the north-central United States. Now with that cold front moving in, that is helping to push that smoke east, most of it aloft. But at the same time, for example, Tuesday morning we are seeing quite a ribbon of smoke extending from around Lake Superior, southwestward into eastern Nebraska, along with and ahead of that cold front.”
Rippey says a cold front will keep moving east and hopefully clear some of the smoke. However, he did say the smoke also caused some very bright sunrises and sunsets across much of the U.S. this week.
Nebraska’s largest wildfire on-record has burned 650,000 acres, with three other major fires also burning across the state, destroying pastureland and threatening cattle.
March 18, 2026 12:53 PM
·
Nebraska Farm Bureau President Mark McHargue shares the latest on the wildfires, their impact on agriculture, and the challenges farmers are facing as they navigate both natural disasters and economic uncertainty.
March 17, 2026 11:57 AM
·
March 16, 2026 10:58 AM
·
Vive’s Art Graves shared insights on the new Phobos FC 360 foliar fungicide, its advantages for Canadian growers, early performance results, and the company’s ongoing commitment to advanced crop protection solutions.
March 13, 2026 03:31 PM
·
Roger McEowen of Washburn University School of Law joined us to discuss key legal and tax issues ranchers should consider as they recover from recent prairie fires across the Southern Plains.
March 03, 2026 01:06 PM
·
Colorado Congressman Jeff Hurd joins Champions of Rural America to share insights into the Western Caucus legislative priorities as they champion wildfire prevention and mitigation in the West.
February 27, 2026 02:35 PM
·
