For Copeland and her fiancée, that night cost $11,500 in immediate damage to their basement and foundation. Insurance covered most of it, but only after an argument about what was actually covered.

As Canadian wildfire smoke drifts south, clouding our horizons and coating our lungs, it is becoming clear that this smoke is doing much more than just stinging our eyes.

It's time to talk about something fundamental: the very air we breathe, the health we cherish, and the future we envision for our...