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NATIONAL NEWS

Heavy smoke from wildfires is darkening skies from the US Midwest to the East Coast, in photos

Jul 16, 2026, 10:49 PM | Updated: Jul 18, 2026, 5:20 am

The Statue of Liberty is photographed from the Staten Island Ferry as smoke from wildfires blankets...

The Statue of Liberty is photographed from the Staten Island Ferry as smoke from wildfires blankets the sky, Thursday, July 16, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Credit: AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura

(AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Associated Press's Profile Picture

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS


Heavy, pungent wildfire smoke darkened skies in the U.S. on Thursday from the Great Lakes to parts of the East Coast, reducing visibility and prompting warnings that breathing the air outside could be dangerous.

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This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

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Heavy smoke from wildfires is darkening skies from the US Midwest to the East Coast, in photos