This year, California is experiencing more and more wildfires, and they aren’t the only ones being impacted by it. The impacts of wildfires in California spread to other states following airstreams, visually obscuring skylines and posing respiratory risks. Over the past few months, Las Vegas has been caught in the crossfire of two such wildfires.
This June, California experienced their largest wildfire of 2025, Madre Fire. The Madre Fire burned around 80,000 acres of land, causing harm to natural ecosystems and national parks such as Los Padres National Forest, Carrizo National Monument, Carrizo Plains Ecological Reserve, etc.. The fire destroyed natural habitats and created millions of dollars in damages. Not only that, it impacted regions around California, including Las Vegas. Areas in Las Vegas experienced heavy fog and worsened air quality.
More recently, this July, California experienced another wildfire that had a severe consequence on Las Vegas. The Gifford Fire, starting from San Barbara county, blew into other regions such as Utah, Arizona and Nevada. Around August 4, Nevada, closest state to the site of disaster, experienced the worst air quality, with Las Vegas facing an AQI of 190, classified as ‘unhealthy’ according to AirNow. This has been the worst air quality in Las Vegas in 2025. According to EMS logs, from August 4 to 6, there has been a boost in calls of shortness of breath, showcasing the deadly effect of poor air quality.
The uprising of California wildfires makes one thing clear: California’s wildfires are not just California’s problem. Las Vegas, despite being miles away from California, has been affected by the transboundary effects of California wildfires. As fellow Nevadans, some measures we can take to prepare for these catastrophes are being informed of bad air quality, countermeasures and expand indoor options to accommodate activities during poor air quality days.
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