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NEW YORK CITY AIR QUALITY REACHES DANGEROUS LEVELS DUE TO CANADIAN WILDFIRE
SMOKE

WABC
By Eyewitness News
Updated 44 minutes ago
Smoke from hundreds of wildfires burning north of the border continues to create
dangerous air quality conditions across our area. NJ Burkett reports.
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Smoke from hundreds of wildfires burning in Canada continues
to create dangerous air quality conditions across New York City and the
Tri-State.

The National Weather Service has issued an Air Quality Alert for New York City
and parts of the Tri-State area.

On Tuesday NYC had the worst air quality in the world and on Wednesday morning
NYC was second worst in the world after Delhi, India.

Health officials are urging area residents to limit outdoor activities on
Wednesday as air quality is expected to remain at "unhealthy" to "very
unhealthy" levels with no improvements until Thursday at the earliest.

That will leave the city's air quality advisory "in place for the next few
days," Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol said. "We expect this to be
a multiple-day event. This is not something that is normal."

At this point, New York City schools remain open, but students will not be doing
any outdoor activities during their school day.

Mayor Eric Adams called the Air Quality Alert an, "unprecedented event in our
city and New Yorkers must take precaution."

Iscol called Tuesday night's air quality potentially the worst the city has ever
seen.

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 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.

Jay Engle, a National Weather Service meteorologist based in Upton, Long Island,
said the wind trajectory that allowed smoke and hazy conditions to be seen in
the New York City area could continue for the next few days. Of course, he said,
the main driver of conditions is the fires themselves. If they diminish, the
haze would too.





RELATED | Interactive map to track air quality across the New York City region

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.

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.

Kids, who often are encouraged to go out and play, "are more susceptible to
smoke for a number of reasons," said Laura Kate Bender, the lung association's
National Assistant Vice President, healthy air. "Their lungs are still
developing, they breathe in more air per unit of body weight."

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."

Marcus Solis reports on conditions in White Plains

Westchester County affected by clouds of smoke from Canada wildfires


Meanwhile, Northern Quebec's largest town was being evacuated as authorities
turned their attention to communities in the northern and northwestern parts of
the province where firefighters worked to beat back threats from out-of-control
blazes.



According to the province's forest fire prevention agency, more than 150 forest
fires were burning in the province on Tuesday, including more than 110 deemed
out of control.

Quebec Natural Resources Minister Maté Blanchette Vézina told reporters in
Quebec City that evacuees across the province number just over 8,300, down from
10,000 to start the week, but the Abitibi region remains a concern.

"We are not expecting rain in the short term, which is what makes it more
difficult to fight fires," Blanchette Vézina said.

A toll-free air quality hotline has been established so New York residents can
stay informed on the air quality situation. The toll-free number is
1-800-535-1345.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.





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