Smoke from Wildfires Blankets the Skies of New York and Other States, Prompting Air-Quality Alerts
Wednesday marked the second consecutive day that millions of Americans breathed toxic air, as smoke from hundreds of Canadian wildfires continued to blanket the Midwest, mid-Atlantic, and Northeast.
According to AirNow, a government monitoring agency, the air quality level in New York, the most populous metropolitan area in the United States, was 170 on Wednesday morning, an unhealthy level for the second consecutive day and exceeding levels in some of the most polluted cities on Earth.
Air quality levels greater than 300 are considered hazardous. Wednesday morning, the temperature in an area near Syracuse, New York, reached 351, indicating that everyone should remain indoors and limit their physical activity. AirNow reported that some communities near Rochester, New York, had air quality levels above 300.
The National Weather Service of the United States reported that the air quality was unhealthy in portions of New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, and Michigan.
Inhaling polluted air can cause migraines, itchy eyes, fatigue, and breathing difficulties, according to weather forecasters. Seniors, infants, and immunocompromised individuals should exercise particular caution.
In light of the pollution forecast, the Prospect Park Track Club cancelled a 5-kilometer race scheduled for Wednesday evening in Brooklyn, New York. “Today is global running day, so we expected this to be our largest event ever,” said the club’s treasurer, Doug Olney. During the summer, the group organises 5K races every two weeks, and he said that approximately 800 athletes were expected on Wednesday evening.
More than 400 active wildfires were blazing across Canada, where the smoke originated. Some of the worst flames were concentrated in eastern Quebec, which borders the Northeastern United States. On Wednesday, residents of Ottawa and Montreal in eastern Canada reported that the sky appeared orange.
Officials in Canada have warned that the country could be on track for its most destructive wildfire season ever, which could result in a hazy summer for the United States.
The New York City Department of Education tweeted Wednesday morning that all public schools in the city would be open, but all outdoor activities would be cancelled.
“We encourage everyone to limit prolonged or strenuous outdoor activity,” the education department wrote.
Tuesday night, Crissy Cáceres, the principal of Brooklyn Friends School, sent a message to parents informing them that the school would be closed Wednesday due to poor air quality.
Cáceres wrote, “I believe this is the only prudent decision to make in order to prioritise the welfare of our entire school.” We request that you adhere to the professional advice to remain indoors until the worst of the storm has passed, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back to school on Thursday.
Cáceres did not respond to a request for comment promptly.
This spring, the Western United States has been spared from poor air quality. However, its own wildfire season typically culminates in July, when the sky turns orange and the air quality is hazardous for weeks. In the West, wildfire smoke is an everyday occurrence, whereas in the East, officials were scrambling to warn residents about the toxic air.
