Tue, 21 Apr 2026 03:19:45 +0000

Forever Burning Skies Over Indianapolis—Is This the New Normal? In recent years, Indianapolis has been grappling with increasingly vivid and prolonged wildfire conditions—an eerie transformation that has led many to ask: Forever burning skies over Indianapolis—could this be the new normal? While not a fire-prone region like California or the Pacific Northwest, unprecedented atmospheric shifts, urban sprawl, and climate change are converging in ways that are reshaping life in the Heartland. ### The Changing Weather Patterns Indianapolis has seen a marked rise in extreme heatwaves and prolonged drought periods, creating conditions conducive to localized smoke infiltration and “burning skies.” In summers marked by intense wildfires hundreds of miles away—particularly in the Midwest, Great Plains, and even Canadian forests—thick plumes of wildfire smoke drift toward the city, tinting the sun red and casting orange glows across the horizon.