Newsman: Five states were under red flag warnings Tuesday due to hot, dry and unstable conditions, the National Weather Service said. Smoke from hundreds of wildfires burning in Canada continues to create dangerous air quality conditions across New York City and the Tri-State.
New York City air quality reaches dangerous levels. Mayor Eric Adams called the Air Quality Alert an, “unprecedented event in our city and New Yorkers must take precaution.”
Health officials are urging area residents to limit outdoor activities on Wednesday. The National Weather Service has issued an Air Quality Alert for New York City and parts of the Tri-State area.
The smoke is making for potentially dangerous conditions, especially for people with respiratory issues.
Exposure to elevated fine particle pollution levels can affect the lungs and heart.
The air quality alerts caution “sensitive groups,” a big category that includes children, older adults, and people with lung diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Michigan, Washington and Alaska will remain under the warning until 8-10 p.m. local time, the weather service said.
Smoke from Canada’s wildfires has been moving into the United States since last month. The most recent fires near Quebec have been burning for at least several days.
The New York City Department of Education recommended that “prolonged outdoor activity be limited and that special attention be made to vulnerable students and staff populations.” At this point, New York City schools remain open, but students will not be doing any outdoor activities during their school day.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said hazy skies, reduced visibility and the odor of burning wood are likely, and that the smoke will linger for a few days in northern states.
“It’s not unusual for us to get fire smoke in our area. It’s very typical in terms of northwest Canada,” said Darren Austin, a meteorologist and senior air quality specialist with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. But, usually, the smoke has been aloft and hasn’t affected people’s health, he said.
The Quebec-area fires are big and relatively close, about 500 to 600 miles (roughly 800 to 970 kilometers) away from Rhode Island. And they followed wildfires in Nova Scotia, which resulted in a short-lived air quality alert on May 30, Austin said.
Dr. Jack Caravanos is an environmental health expert at NYU who studies environmental toxins and pollution. He says because of the Canadian wildfires, the air quality is three times worse than normal.
“As time goes on, the air inside a building will ultimately equal the air outside, so for homes, restaurants, delicatessens, the air quality inside will pretty much match the air quality outside, especially as this thing goes on for a few days,” Caravanos said.
The smoke is making skies hazy and making for potentially dangerous conditions, especially for people with respiratory issues.
The air quality alert means air pollution concentration in the region will be unhealthy for people with heart or lung disease, children and adults over 65.
The smoky skies are the result of more than 160 forest fires burning in Quebec during what federal officials say is shaping up to be among Canada’s worst fire seasons ever.
With more than 480 wilderness firefighters on the ground, Quebec can fight around 30 fires, Quebec Premier Franois Legault told reporters Monday, adding that normally firefighters would come from other provinces to help.
“When I talk to the premiers of other provinces, they have their hands full,” Legault told a briefing in Quebec City.
On Friday afternoon there were 324 fires burning across Canada. As of Monday morning that had grown to 413, and by late afternoon, the total jumped again.
