Yes, it’s still hot here in Editorland. But the big problem is smoke, and the Air Quality Index (AQI) not the heat index (although it’s still hot). I cancelled a bike ride I was supposed to lead yesterday when the AQI got over 200 — very unhealthy — and the visibility was limited by smoke. But I had no idea how much worse it was going to get.
At 2:39 p.m. it looked as though the scale was near a maximum. It looks like it maxes out at 600 from the scale shown. I’d never seen it anywhere near this high.
But as it turns out, it could get even higher:
Luckily, I could shut all the windows, turn on the air purifier and AC, and chill out. Otherwise, I’d need to hunt up my leftover N95 masks.
The cartoonists at the New Yorker were quick to post on this issue:
Comics I Don't Understand 
I hate when the AQI is the reason/excuse for not getting out on the trails.
LikeLike
“Go play outside and get some fresh air.”
“Okay, I’ll see what flights are available on short notice.”
LikeLike
“Go play outside and get some fresh air.”
“Okay, I’ll see what flights are available on short notice.”
LikeLike
“Go play outside and get some fresh air.”
“Okay, I’ll see what flights are available on short notice.”
LikeLike
I don’t recall if we can use markup anymore. If this is a mess, mods please fix or remove.
The Big Picture by Lennie Peterson addresses this situation.
https://www.gocomics.com/thebigpicture/2026/07/18
LikeLike
An official at the highest level of the United States government is threatening to punish Canada for sending smoke our way, totally denying the US’ own contribution to the climate conditions that cause more than the usual number of Canadian wildfires.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Over 800 is like smoking a pack of cigarettes per hour, or more.
LikeLike