PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 28, 2025
More smoke from Canadian wildfires is expected to make its way through Maine this week, keeping air quality down across the state. Maine could hover in that “moderate” category for much of this week. When air quality levels are in the “moderate” range, people sensitive to the effects — such as older adults, young children or people with asthma — are advised to limit prolonged or heavy exertion outside. The number of wildfires in the U.S. so far this year is higher than normal — nearly 40,000 as of July 28 — but the amount of land those fires are covering is below the 10-year average to this point, with just over 3 million acres burned so far. Canada, on the other hand, has seen worse wildfires than usual — much worse. More than 3,300 Canadian wildfires have burned through nearly 14.5 million acres of land this year as of July 23. That’s over double the 10-year average.