Kankakee, Illinois – A surreal, deep-pink sunrise lit up skies across Illinois and much of the Midwest early Friday as smoke from ongoing Canadian wildfires filtered the morning light into an almost otherworldly glow.
According to the National Weather Service, a dense layer of upper-atmosphere smoke drifted southward from blazes burning across Ontario and Quebec. As the sun rose, the smoke particles scattered shorter blue and green wavelengths, allowing only longer red and orange wavelengths to penetrate the haze — resulting in a dimmed, crimson-tinged sky.
The phenomenon was visible from rural fields in Kankakee County to the suburbs of Chicago and as far west as Peoria. Social media lit up with photos of the glowing sun filtered through barns, trees, and tractors — scenes that looked more like Mars than Illinois farmland.
Air quality remained in the “moderate” category for most of the region Friday morning, but officials advised individuals with respiratory conditions to limit outdoor exposure. While the red sunrise may appear stunning, it’s also a reminder of the widespread impact of Canadian wildfires on U.S. air and weather conditions.
Smoke from Canada is expected to linger throughout the coming days across the U.S.
