The devastating fires have displaced more than 20,000 people and scorched about 3.8 million hectares of land in Canada, where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described this wildfire season as the country's worst ever.

More than 100 million people across the northeastern United States and extending west to Chicago and south to Atlanta were under pollution warnings after the smoke drifted hundreds of miles from Canada, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said.

The thick pollution cast an eerie, yellowish glow over the Big Apple's famous skyscrapers, delayed flights and forced the postponement of sporting events.

"It smells like someone is doing a barbecue," said Nicha Suaittiyanon, a 30-year-old tourist in New York City from Thailand, who complained of watery and itchy eyes.

Mayor Eric Adams told New Yorkers to limit outdoor activity to "the absolute necessities," adding: "This is not the day to train for a marathon."

All outdoor activities at New York City's public schools were suspended, as the smog enveloped the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline.

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