One climatologist said "a perfect storm" of climate extremes primed the western U.S. for one of its worst fire seasons in a decade. Meanwhile, Canadian wildfire smoke fills the air.

In Toronto, skies have been an apocalyptic orange since Wednesday morning and New York City, Detroit and Minneapolis were also facing severe air quality warnings. For millions of North Americans, smoky skies are becoming a familiar sight in warmer months.

It’s already been a deadly year for firefighters, and authorities have been putting resources where they can more quickly pounce on wildfires before they get out of hand and increase the possibility of additional loss of life and property.

Deadly and destructive wildfires erupt in the US each year, burning millions of acres and destroying thousands of homes. CNN is tracking the trends.