Smoke from Canadian wildfires blanketed much of the Midwest and Northeast of the United States on Monday and Tuesday, with experts warning of a thick haze that posed a major health risk.
Air quality warnings were issued in at least eight states, with health officials warning people in sensitive groups, such as children, people with heart or lung conditions or people over 65, to limit their time outdoors.
According to AccuWeather, air quality warnings have been issued for Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont and New Hampshire.
How is it dangerous?
“Smoke is made up of gases and particles, the same pollutants that are responsible for poor air quality,” explains Boris Quennehen, an air quality scientist at Plume Labs who spoke with AccuWeather.
In New York City, the Air Quality Index (AQI) – which measures the amount of pollutants in the air on a scale of 0 to 500 – is currently the second worst in the US, at 166, a level considered “unhealthy.”
“There are enough smoke particles in the air that this could be an air quality issue, not just for sensitive groups, but for virtually everyone who lives in the Northeast,” Fox Weather meteorologist Britta Merwin told viewers.
Air quality in Indianapolis and Dayton, Ohio, was only slightly better, with an AQI of 161, but was still considered unhealthy.
Where exactly are the fires?
According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, there are currently 414 active wildfires burning in Canada, with more than half (241) considered “out of control.”
So far, the fires have burned more than 3.6 million hectares and forced more than 100,000 people to evacuate.
Read more on Yahoo News: Canada heading for worst wildfire season ever (Reuters)
Last week, smoke from at least 14 wildfires in Nova Scotia spread across the northeastern U.S., with residents from Vermont to Connecticut reporting not only seeing the smoke, but smelling it as well.
Is there a risk of wildfires in the US?
Yes. According to the National Weather Service, five states — Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Michigan, Washington and Alaska — were under “red flag” warnings Tuesday due to hot, dry and unstable conditions.
Such warnings are issued when weather conditions in an area are conducive to the spread of wildfires due to a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and dry fuels.
The weather service warned people in those states to avoid all activities that could potentially lead to a wildfire, such as outdoor grilling, smoking and cutting down trees.
“Camping, outdoor grills, smoking equipment, chainsaws and all-terrain vehicles can all create a spark and start a dangerous and destructive fire,” the weather service said, adding that “any fire that does start is likely to spread quickly.”
