Due to haze and smoke from wildfires sweeping throughout the western United States, hundreds of flights have been canceled. Many planes across Western America had to cancel flights as a result of this.
According to FlightAware.com, more than 480 aircraft were delayed, and 15 were canceled at Denver International Airport on July 19. According to reports from The Denver Post, Southwest Airlines had 124 delayed flights, SkyWest Airlines had 79 delayed flights, and United Airlines had 44 delayed flights.
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The flights were hampered by strong smoke and haze from significant western fires in California, Oregon, and Idaho, obscuring runways and making landing difficult for the Pilots. There are currently 80 wildfires raging across 13 states, consuming more than 1 million acres, predominantly in the western United States. According to the National Weather Service, more dry weather in Montana and thunderstorms in California, Washington, and Oregon might result in more wildfires and smoke in the surrounding states.
According to Alex Renteria, the Denver International Airport’s public information officer, smoke reduced visibility at the airport, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration to implement a traffic management system to space out arriving flights, causing delays.
The Federal Aviation Administration, according to Renteria, has implemented a traffic management scheme for flights arriving at the airport Monday morning. According to CBS4, the smoke was projected to worsen later in the afternoon, while airport officials stated that the situation in the Denver metro region was not worse than it had been.
At 10:45 a.m., Altieri checked the automated equipment at the Denver airport. It was also not suggesting any visibility concerns that would cause flights to be hampered. On Monday morning, the FAA website showed no issues for DIA, and the National Weather Service said it was unaware of any smoke or haze issues.
According to CNN, wildfires have also hampered fuel supplies at airports such as Montana’s Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport. According to FlightAware statistics, there were 32 delayed flights into and out of the Bozeman airport on Monday.
Airlines “have had their fuel delivered owing to heightened fire suppression needs throughout the West that have decreased availability in Montana,” said Brian Springer, the airport’s director, in an email to CNN on Sunday.
More than 80 active wildfires were raging across 13 states, burning down more than 1.17 million acres of land, mostly in Western states, according to the data shown by the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC).
Thick wildfire smoke has shrouded the air throughout broad sections of the Western United States in recent weeks, posing a significant health risk. Several governments have issued public health advisories advising the most susceptible individuals to stay indoors since inhaling the smoke could cause or worsen respiratory and cardiac problems.
Residents in Oregon, where the most land has been burned in the United States so far this year, have been told to be prepared to leave at any time. According to state officials, weather conditions are exacerbating the flames, with dry conditions and record-high temperatures prolonging the blazes.
“There are some fires that are presently burning that will only be put out by season-ending snowfall,” fire spokesman Daniel Omdal told CNN, speculating that the Bootleg Fire raging through Oregon could be one of them.
Earlier this month, a number of wildfires were reported in California, fueled by hot temperatures and dry conditions brought on by an ongoing heatwave in the Pacific Northwest. Since July 6, the Bootleg Fire in adjacent Oregon has burnt over 200,000 acres, making it the country’s largest wildfire. According to fire hazard data from The Coloradoan, three significant wildfires are now raging in Colorado.
