In the upper Midwest of the United States, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota have issued air quality warnings as smoke from the Prairie wildfires is dragged south by a cold front. Those warnings expanded into the Northeast, causing some hazy skies.

(Reuters) -Smoke from wildfires burning in three Canadian provinces covered about a third of the U.S. on Wednesday, forecasters said, but had little effect on air quality except in New England and parts of New York state and the Midwest.

As hundreds of wildfires burn across Canada, smoke is traveling south and potentially affecting Americans’ health. Here's why it can be so dangerous.