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The menacing smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to engulf a significant portion of the United States, leading to a US air quality alert being issued for 11 states across the northern Plains, Midwest, and Great Lakes regions on Sunday.

The smoky pall stretches from Montana to New York, adversely affecting the visibility and air quality for nearly 60 million people, including inhabitants of cities like Chicago, Detroit, New York, St. Louis, Cedar Rapids, and Cleveland.

'Unhealthy' Air Quality Index Plagues Large Swath of US

The US air quality alert arrives as a substantial segment of the northern Plains, extending from Montana through Illinois, registered an 'unhealthy' range on the Air Quality Index, which corresponds to Level 4 of 6, on Sunday.

"While the concentration of smoke in the atmosphere should begin to wane by Monday, there is still enough smoke to support unhealthy air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups in parts of these regions into the start of the upcoming week," noted the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center.

US Air Quality Alert: New York State Activates Emergency 

The smoke from the wildfires raging in Western Canada has resulted in an air quality health advisory for the entire state of New York. "The smoke is expected to cause the Air Quality Index to reach levels in Upstate communities that are 'Unhealthy for All' New Yorkers," stated Gov. Kathy Hochul.

To confront this emergent US air quality alert, the state has activated emergency notifications on roads and initiated the distribution of masks. Persistent winds are predicted to carry the smoke further east, blanketing the Northeast with a hazy cloud early in the week.

Canadian Wildfires Fueled by Lightning Strikes and Drought

The smoke plume inundating the US has its origin in the nearly 400 wildfires that have ignited in Canada's British Columbia province over the past week. Alarmingly, about half of these fires were sparked by 51,000 lightning strikes from thunderstorms.

Adding to the severity of the situation, many of these thunderstorms were 'dry' or produced insignificant rain, exacerbating the wildfires in a province already grappling with severe drought.

Second Firefighter Dies Battling Canadian Wildfires

The devastation extends beyond the US air quality alert as Canadian authorities declared the unfortunate loss of a second firefighter battling these wildfires on Sunday. "We regret to share the tragic news that a firefighter from Fort Liard has passed away from an injury sustained while fighting a wildfire in the Fort Liard District Saturday afternoon," announced Canada’s Northwest Territories.

This tragedy follows the death of another firefighter near Revelstoke in southeastern British Columbia. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his condolences, assuring the grieving families and fellow firefighters of Canada's support during these challenging times.