Wildfire Smoke Chokes US Northwest, Residents Don Masks

Wildfire Smoke Chokes US Northwest, Residents Don Masks
Smoke billows in a forested area after the Nakia Creek Fire exploded in Clark County, Wash., on Oct. 16, 2022, in this still image taken from video obtained from social media. Clark County Fire District 3/via Reuters
Reuters
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SEATTLE, Wash.—Wildfires in Oregon and Washington are blanketing much of America’s Pacific Northwest with smoke, choking residents in Seattle, Portland and other parts of the two states with the worst air in the United States, according to government data.

In the Seattle area, home to some 4 million people, the sky was brown and the air was difficult to breathe on Thursday. When the sun peeked through it was orange.