Mets-Phillies Game, Creed Concert Disrupted by Wildfire Smoke

Canadian wildfire smoke that’s choking major US cities is disrupting everything from Major League Baseball games to rock concerts.

(Bloomberg) — Canadian wildfire smoke that’s choking major US cities is disrupting everything from Major League Baseball games to rock concerts. The start time for the matchup between MLB’s New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies was moved up by an hour Thursday evening due to air quality concerns in the City of Brotherly Love, the teams said on X. Meanwhile, a concert headlined by stadium rockers Creed in the Minneapolis suburb of Shakopee has been postponed to Sept. 5. “Scott, Mark, Brian and Flip were incredibly excited to perform for the sold-out crowd but given the environmental conditions and the challenges they create for the band, crew, venue, staff and attendees, the decision has been made to move the performance,” the band posted on Facebook.

Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire FC postponed its home match against Vancouver Whitecaps FC until Oct. 6, citing “poor air quality conditions in the Chicago area resulting from wildfire smoke” in a social-media post. No mention was made of the fact that the delay comes just months ahead of the 155th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire. Other disruptions include the suspension of The Target USA Cup, the largest youth soccer tournament in the Western Hemisphere, which was set to take place in Minnesota on Thursday.

Dangerous levels of smoke from hundreds of wildfires in Canada are sending plumes across the continent, as climate change has helped fuel hotter, drier conditions. Air-quality alerts have been issued in some of the biggest US population centers, with readings for places like Detroit and Minneapolis reaching levels dubbed “hazardous” by the US Environmental Protection Agency.