Millions of Americans have been advised to remain indoors as the smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to drift southward over large portions of the eastern United States.
Multiple states have extended health advisories until at least midnight on Thursday, advising residents from Massachusetts to North Carolina to limit outdoor activities and wear masks.
Smoke enveloped populous areas in the eastern United States, turning the sky above New York City orange and disrupting air travel and school schedules.
Forecasters predict that the air quality will remain hazardous for several days despite the possibility of rain showers developing in the Northeast and New England on Thursday and Friday evenings.
As long as these fires remain active, large, and uncontained, Zack Taylor, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland, predicts that ash will continue to rise into the atmosphere.
Several U.S. meteorologists stated that the weather and wind pattern responsible for driving Canadian wildfire smoke south over the next few days is unlikely to change.
Meteorologist Lee Hendricks of the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh stated that a high-pressure system in the western United States was helping to drive smoke southward into the country. Until the current weather pattern changes, he said, “nothing is going to significantly improve.”
According to AirNow, a government monitoring website, more than 40 million people reside in areas with unhealthy or worse air quality. At one point on Wednesday, the air quality index for the New York City metropolitan area exceeded 400, well into the “hazardous” range that requires everyone to remain indoors and reduce physical activity, according to AirNow. Air quality levels greater than 300 are considered hazardous.
Parts of the country unaccustomed to coping with the lingering effects of widespread wildfires were shaken by the smoky skies and thick air. Officials reported an influx of 911 calls in Pennsylvania and an increase in visits to emergency rooms in certain regions of New York.
According to the country’s department of natural resources, more than 8.1 million acres of land have already been consumed by wildfires as of early June in Canada. Approximately 600,000 acres would have been burned by this juncture in a typical fire season.
Children and those with preexisting health conditions, such as asthma and cardiac disease, are particularly vulnerable to the dangers of air pollution.
Smoke from Canada envelops the United States
There are presently over 400 active fires in Canada. More than a dozen U.S. states are experiencing deteriorating air quality as a result of north-to-south winds carrying smoke from certain fires. Meteorologists predict that this weather pattern will persist for the next several days.
Paul Billings, national senior vice president of public policy at the American Lung Association, stated, “We face a pretty serious health threat from air pollution across a significant portion of the United States.” I believe the most essential thing for individuals to do during this crisis is to take extra precautions to safeguard themselves.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, days to weeks of exposure is associated with an increased risk of exacerbating preexisting respiratory conditions such as asthma.
According to the EPA, such exposure can also cause wheezing and difficulty breathing, as well as decreased lung function, heart attack, stroke, and an increased risk of emergency room and hospital visits.
