Wildfire Smoke from Pacific Northwest and Canada Impacting Oklahoma

It may be looking a little hazy in Oklahoma this week, and that's because smoke from wildfires in the Pacific Northwest and western Canada are impacting skies in the Sooner State.

Areas of Oregon, Washington and California are currently experiencing massive wildfires. An article from the Associate Press stated that a wildfire in Oregon is causing its own weather. The Durkee wildfire in Oregon was sparked by a strike of lightening, and the National Weather Service found that the fire showed "extreme fire behavior" that it "began creating its own weather system with a 'pyrocumulus cloud,'" which means there's like a thunderstorm on top of the fire.

@weatherchannel Active July-sparked fires have consumed hundreds of square miles, and the weather in Oregon is shaping up to get drier and hotter ... #TheWeatherChannel #fyp #weather #fire #wildfire #news #Oregon #dry #summer #hot #fires #firefighter #hotshots #weathertok #weatherchannel ♬ original sound - The Weather Channel

The wildfires in Canada are raging in the country's western portion.

On Tuesday, nearly 25,000 people were evacuated from the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies. The evacuees included visitors to Jasper National Park and residents of the town Jasper located in the Alberta province. Over 300 wildfires were already burning to the west in British Columbia.

@cbsmornings Dozens of wildfires — including four so-called megafires — are burning in the West. Oregon and Canada are facing an early and intense fire season, with numerous widespread evacuations and severe air quality issues. #wildfire #west #news ♬ original sound - CBS Mornings

Oklahoma is being impacted by the smoke from the wildfires.

Skies in Oklahoma have appeared smoky this week and that's due to smoke trickling down from the fires in the Pacific Northwest and Canada. Although the smoke is not nearly as damaging as the wildfires themselves, the smoke can still have an affect on the state's air quality.

The Oklahoma Air Quality Division's forecast for Wednesday, July 24 stated that "smoke from national fires will continue to influence surface particulate matter conditions." And the "limited vertical mixing and elevated incoming background concentrations could be enough for the AQI to reach the upper level of 'Moderate' or even the lower level of 'Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups' across the major metro areas."