Phoenix rang in the 2025 New Year with some of the worst air quality ever recorded in the Valley. And the Maricopa County Air Quality Department is urging residents to help keep skies clearer for New Year’s 2026.
The Valley is shaped like a big bowl, and in the winter, cooler weather creates a pressure change that pushes pollution lower to the earth, trapping it right over the city, said Maricopa County Air Quality Department spokesperson Ari Halpert.
On New Year’s Eve, at-home fireworks supercharge the problem.
Environmental Protection Agency
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Handout
Phoenix’s air quality on New Year’s Day 2025 was the worst in the U.S.
“Jan. 1, 2025 we had the third-worst air quality in the world, the worst in the nation, and the main culprit for that were consumer fireworks,” Halpert said. “We ask everyone to celebrate in a different way.”
The smoke was so thick last New Year’s Day that some parts of the Valley saw “hazardous” air quality conditions — the most severe category on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index.
Halpert said Valley residents can do their part to improve air quality this year by skipping at-home fireworks displays, and leaving pyrotechnics to the professionals.
Environmental Protection Agency
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Handout
Smoke was so thick on Jan. 1, 2025, that some parts of the Valley saw “hazardous” air quality conditions — the most severe category on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index.
“Professional fireworks explode up in the atmosphere and have a chance to disperse all that pollution, so it doesn’t pose as big of a threat as these consumer fireworks,” Halpert said.
Halpert said another important way to keep pollution at bay is not to burn wood in your fireplace or outdoor fire pit.
Halpert said smoke from wood burning and fireworks can be harmful to everyone. Tiny particulates get deep into the lungs, which can worsen respiratory issues like asthma or bronchitis.
“They also carry toxins that can reach our bloodstream and exacerbate or pose a danger to our cardiac health,” Halpert said.
For some qualifying residents, the department offers up to $2,000 to cover the costs of converting wood burning fireplaces to gas models.
Residents can sign up for alerts about air quality through the department’s website, or keep up-to-date on its Clean Air app.