Portland Has World’s Worst Air and U.S. Declares an Emergency
- Vancouver, Seattle also near top of list in terms of bad air
- Smoke from West Coast fires has now reached the East Coast
A cyclist stops along the Willamette River as smoke from wildfires fills the air, in Portland, on Sept. 12.
Photographer: John Locher/AP Photo
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The U.S. has declared a public health emergency in Oregon, citing poor air quality after wildfires charred more than a million acres in the state, choking Portland with the worst air in the world.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued the notice Wednesday, three weeks after declaring a similar emergency in California, which is experiencing the worst fires in state history.