New York City and other parts of the Northeast are grappling with a severe air quality emergency as thick smoke and haze from wildfires in Canada shroud the region.
The hazardous air conditions have led to health concerns, flight disruptions, and the confinement of children indoors.
The map’s forecast computer model indicates the areas where the densest smoke is expected to be situated closer to the ground in the upcoming hours.
AirNow, a reliable source for air quality information, reported that the level of particulate matter from smoke on Wednesday was deemed unhealthy from Detroit to Philadelphia.
Children in Maryland are being confined indoors, flights in New York City have been halted, and millions of residents are facing the danger of inhaling hazardous air as a result of the massive cloud of smoke emitted by Quebec’s wildfires.
Air quality alerts have been issued for over 75 million people in the eastern United States today, as the smoke obscures famous city skylines with swirling orange haze.
The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre reported approximately 150 active fires in Quebec alone, with some of them having started several days or even weeks ago.
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However, due to a storm system located off the coast of Nova Scotia in recent days, the smoke from these fires was pushed southwards into the United States and then eastwards, affecting densely populated areas of the country.
According to the White House, President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had a conversation on Wednesday regarding the wildfires in Canada.
During their discussion, President Biden expressed his willingness to provide additional assistance and also addressed the health consequences caused by the fires.
“To date, the United States has deployed more than 600 U.S. firefighters and support personnel, and other firefighting assets to respond to the fires,” the White House said in a statement.
Starting from Tuesday afternoon, the Office of Emergency Management in the city took the initiative to issue warnings about the hazardous air quality through its social media platforms and city alert system.
Furthermore, Mayor Eric Adams also released a news statement around 11:30 p.m., emphasizing the severity of the situation regarding the dangerous air quality.
