What we can learn from the unique smell of wildfire smoke

NPR | By Adrian Ma,

Henry Larson, Adam Raney

Published July 18, 2026 at 5:20 PM EDT

NPR's Adrian Ma speaks with Derek Mallia, professor University of Utah's Department of Atmospheric Sciences, about why wildfire smoke in the northeast has a distinctive smell.

Adrian Ma

Adrian Ma covers work, money and other "business-ish" for NPR's daily economics podcast The Indicator from Planet Money.

Henry Larson

Adam Raney

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