Friday, 11 September 2026Clear-eyed news, from daybreak on.
DaybreakWire
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Topic

Air Quality

Thick orange wildfire smoke hangs over a city skyline, obscuring buildings in haze.

Why Wildfire Smoke Can Smell Like Burning Plastic

The acrid, chemical smell in wildfire smoke isn't your imagination — it's benzene and formaldehyde, and sometimes it's literally burning plastic.

Climate  · 11 Sep 2026, 09:22  · Maya Calder