A Map of 'Smoke Events' Around the World

Fire season is back, and it's not safe to breathe in huge swaths of the world.

1 minute read

July 27, 2018, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Yosemite Smoke

Sundry Photography / Shutterstock

The Ferguson Fire burning new Yosemite National Park has burned more than 40,000 acres and forced the evacuation of the park.

The Ferguson Fire inspired Patrick May to map smoke events around the world, including smoky conditions from wildfires in Colorado and Montana. Fort Smith, Arkansas makes the map for having the highest smoking rate in the entire nation. Around the globe, the tragic fires in Greece are on the map, as do air pollution meters in cities like Cairo, Egypt (as an example of pollution run amok) and Zabol, Iran (as an example of improvement).

Despite broadening the map's scope to include other forms of smoke, it out some smoke events that should worry any one occupying the planet. Earlier this week, for instance, Southern Oregon, a region of natural splendor and home to public lands like Crater Lake National Park, reported the worst air quality in the country due to smoke from wildfires.

The Carr Fire in Shasta County in Northern California was sending ash the size of dimes falling onto the city of Redding, forcing evacuations of historic Old Shasta and neighborhoods in Redding.

Tuesday, July 24, 2018 in The Mercury News

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

April 20 - Streetsblog USA

Close-up on BLM sign on Continental Divide Trail in Rawlins, Wyoming.

BLM To Rescind Public Lands Rule

The change will downgrade conservation, once again putting federal land at risk for mining and other extractive uses.

April 20 - Public Domain

Calvary Street bridge over freeway in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Indy Neighborhood Group Builds Temporary Multi-Use Path

Community members, aided in part by funding from the city, repurposed a vehicle lane to create a protected bike and pedestrian path for the summer season.

April 20 - Smart Cities Dive