Dr. Lisa Iannattone
Yes the smoke smells like plastic. And the reason is horrifying: “The VOC’s from the wildfire smoke interact with UV radiation to create benzene and formaldehyde compounds in the atmosphere. These are toxic air pollutants – and they happen to smell like burning plastic.”
The Weather Network
Smoke from this year’s Canadian wildfire season has been more dense and potent than previous years. https://www.theweathernetwork.com/en/news/weather/severe/smelling-plastic-millions-are-in-the-path-of-toxic-smoke-plumes