Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Prairie Gates

(8,834 posts)
Thu Jul 16, 2026, 12:01 PM 15 hrs ago

It smells like firewood out there

You leave your home or workplace and it smells like you're standing next to a campfire.

The air is thick and smokey.

Worse than last year.

34 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
It smells like firewood out there (Original Post) Prairie Gates 15 hrs ago OP
It smells more like rotten wood burning here in Cleveland. strongermessage 14 hrs ago #1
Get an N95 NIOSH mask & wear it! SheltieLover 14 hrs ago #2
It smells more like burning tires or plastic to me. Ocelot II 14 hrs ago #3
Visibility is down to less than 1/2 mile west of Milwaukee 31j20b3 14 hrs ago #4
It is bad here in Minnesota. ProudMNDemocrat 14 hrs ago #5
I describe it as smelling like those old wood burning engraving tools. Chasstev365 14 hrs ago #6
Yes, I agree Prairie Gates 14 hrs ago #7
I'm in St Lawrence County, NY-21 Karma13612 14 hrs ago #8
Chenango County here. H2O Man 10 hrs ago #31
How close are the Canadian fires to the u.s. northern border for the smoke to be so strong? mwmisses4289 14 hrs ago #9
My understanding is there is a huge fire in the US SUperior National Forest 31j20b3 14 hrs ago #10
Western suburbs of Chicago here Cadfael 14 hrs ago #11
I noticed when I went outside in Ohio I could doc03 14 hrs ago #12
Holy Moly! mwmisses4289 14 hrs ago #13
Just looked at the map. calimary 12 hrs ago #19
Wow!! I live in SC now and my family and friends in livetohike 11 hrs ago #26
In NE OH here near Youngstown Diamond_Dog 13 hrs ago #14
My sister texted me some pics. They aren't leaving livetohike 11 hrs ago #27
It's bad. Diamond_Dog 10 hrs ago #32
I'm in rural north WI and it smells just like a campfire. Talitha 13 hrs ago #15
Maybe Prairie Gates 12 hrs ago #17
Nah. It smells brutal in Northeastern Minnesota. WhiskeyGrinder 11 hrs ago #29
Westchester County, NY legallyblondeNYC 12 hrs ago #16
Even though the multiple fires in my state are nowhere near me, I niyad 12 hrs ago #18
Here too. WI near IL border. Figarosmom 12 hrs ago #20
Local weather reports say air is now hazardous... BH liberal 12 hrs ago #21
The smell has now permeated my house in midcoast Maine. Bumbles 12 hrs ago #22
Where Are You? PJMcK 12 hrs ago #23
Has Trump fire bombed Canada and we haven't been told? Jus' askin'. twodogsbarking 12 hrs ago #24
Apologies for this not in the music section but I had to do it. twodogsbarking 12 hrs ago #25
This message was self-deleted by its author applegrove 11 hrs ago #28
Essex County NJ Mossfern 10 hrs ago #30
In Upper Michigan, ash is drifting down from the sky Kaleva 10 hrs ago #33
: ( electric_blue68 9 hrs ago #34

strongermessage

(322 posts)
1. It smells more like rotten wood burning here in Cleveland.
Thu Jul 16, 2026, 12:08 PM
14 hrs ago

My eyes actually started to water when I went outside this morning.

31j20b3

(328 posts)
4. Visibility is down to less than 1/2 mile west of Milwaukee
Thu Jul 16, 2026, 12:11 PM
14 hrs ago

Can't say it smells as good as firewood, it's more a sort of thick, green-wood smoke look and smell around me.
Sort of like the way the highway ditch smells when I burn weeds once a summer

Prairie Gates

(8,834 posts)
7. Yes, I agree
Thu Jul 16, 2026, 12:20 PM
14 hrs ago

I also agree with everyone above who says it doesn't smell as nice as just a plain old campfire. There's a rot and a bad juju to it, now that y'all mention it.

Karma13612

(5,071 posts)
8. I'm in St Lawrence County, NY-21
Thu Jul 16, 2026, 12:31 PM
14 hrs ago

Near the Canadian border. We are in the country.

Yesterday we woke up to a sky so orange I thought I was tripping.
Air quality was terrible.

This morning, the sky is back to “normal” color, but pale and hazy. The campfire smell is still here, but not as strong. My throat continues to feel scratchy, and I keep feeling the need to cough. I am hoping it blows thru soon. I have lung issues, and it’s a lovely temperature where I normally like to leave all the windows open so we can air out the musty smell of our old house. I’m inside, windows all closed, wearing a mask.

And we have been getting so much heat and humidity that we don’t usually get until August. It is not conducive to being outside, even on nice clean air days.

Thank you global warming deniers. Hope you are happy. And since you all ‘ALSO’ don’t believe in wearing masks….good luck.



31j20b3

(328 posts)
10. My understanding is there is a huge fire in the US SUperior National Forest
Thu Jul 16, 2026, 12:52 PM
14 hrs ago

It's my impression from wathing the smoke movement that Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan are getting a lot from that source

doc03

(39,275 posts)
12. I noticed when I went outside in Ohio I could
Thu Jul 16, 2026, 12:58 PM
14 hrs ago

smell wood burning. Not as bad as year yet.

livetohike

(24,559 posts)
26. Wow!! I live in SC now and my family and friends in
Thu Jul 16, 2026, 03:13 PM
11 hrs ago

OH and PA are complaining about the smoke. The pictures they are posting on Facebook are unbelievable.

Diamond_Dog

(41,690 posts)
14. In NE OH here near Youngstown
Thu Jul 16, 2026, 01:12 PM
13 hrs ago

A friend said it smells like burnt Taco Bell. Whatever it is, it’s nasty, it’s making the sky overcast and the air is foggy. It’s much worse than I remember from 2023.

livetohike

(24,559 posts)
27. My sister texted me some pics. They aren't leaving
Thu Jul 16, 2026, 03:15 PM
11 hrs ago

the house. Now would be a good time to use those Covid masks if you absolutely have to go outside.

Diamond_Dog

(41,690 posts)
32. It's bad.
Thu Jul 16, 2026, 04:51 PM
10 hrs ago

According to Air.gov, we are in the Hazardous category.

No one should go out! I took my Sophie dog out and it made my eyes itch.

Talitha

(8,302 posts)
15. I'm in rural north WI and it smells just like a campfire.
Thu Jul 16, 2026, 01:18 PM
13 hrs ago

Maybe the icky smell others detect is from urban areas' pollution being mixed with the smoke?

Prairie Gates

(8,834 posts)
17. Maybe
Thu Jul 16, 2026, 02:13 PM
12 hrs ago

I was so struck by the burning wood smell that it took me a little while to detect the other particulate matter.

niyad

(135,976 posts)
18. Even though the multiple fires in my state are nowhere near me, I
Thu Jul 16, 2026, 02:37 PM
12 hrs ago

can frequently smell, and taste, the smoke. I am thankful that I have no serious respiratory issues, just my throat and eyes burning. The Aspen Acres fire alone is over 100,000 acres, over 150 square miles. .an area roughly the size of Denver.

PJMcK

(25,283 posts)
23. Where Are You?
Thu Jul 16, 2026, 02:54 PM
12 hrs ago

Yesterday, we were in Oyster Bay, Long Island about an hour east of NYC.

The scent of a fire was moderate and the smoke colored the sky a light reddish-brown.

Quite creepy.

twodogsbarking

(20,161 posts)
24. Has Trump fire bombed Canada and we haven't been told? Jus' askin'.
Thu Jul 16, 2026, 02:59 PM
12 hrs ago

Smokey in central Pa. Like a restaurant in 1972,

Response to Prairie Gates (Original post)

Mossfern

(4,948 posts)
30. Essex County NJ
Thu Jul 16, 2026, 04:07 PM
10 hrs ago

It's starting to look and smell dystopian here.
Air quality this morning was 150, now at 114

I'm one of those sensitive people who have difficulty breathing.
When I was at an appointment today, my voice was raspy, but throat not sore.
I have a meeting tonight - I think I'll opt out.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»It smells like firewood o...