Air quality alerts triggered in New York as Canadian wildfire smoke blankets Northeast

Health officials in eight states urged people in sensitive groups, such as children, people with heart or lung disease or those over the age of 65, to limit their time outdoors.

Dylan Stableford
·Senior Writer
Updated ·3 min read
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The sun rises in a hazy sky behind the Empire State Building in New York City.
The sun rises in a hazy sky behind the Empire State Building in New York City as seen from Jersey City, N.J., on Tuesday. (Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)

Smoke from Canadian wildfires blanketed a large swath of the Midwest and northeastern United States on Monday and Tuesday, casting a thick haze that experts warned was a significant health threat.

Air quality alerts were issued in at least eight states, with health officials warning those in sensitive groups, such as children, people with heart or lung disease or those over the age of 65, to limit their time outdoors.

According to AccuWeather, air quality alerts were issued for Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont and New Hampshire.

How is it dangerous?

A smoky sky blankets the New York City skyline.
Smoke blankets the New York City skyline on Tuesday. (Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)

“Smoke is made of gases and particles, the same pollutants which are responsible for poor air quality,” explained Boris Quennehen, an air quality scientist with Plume Labs who spoke to AccuWeather.

In New York City, the Air Quality Index (AQI) — which measures the amount of pollutants in the air on a 0 to 500 scale — is currently the second-worst in the U.S., at 166, a level that is considered “unhealthy.”

“It’s enough smoke particulate in the air that this could be a concern for air quality, not only for sensitive groups but for just about everybody that lives in the Northeast,” Britta Merwin, a meteorologist for Fox Weather, told viewers.

The air quality in Indianapolis and Dayton, Ohio, was only slightly better, with an AQI of 161, but still considered unhealthy.

Where are the fires exactly?

Thick plumes of smoke fill the sky as an out-of-control fire in a suburban community quickly spreads, engulfing multiple homes and forcing the evacuation of local residents in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Thick plumes of smoke fill the sky as an out-of-control fire in a suburban community quickly spreads, engulfing multiple homes and forcing the evacuation of local residents in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on May 28. (Kelly Clark/The Canadian Press via AP)

There are currently 414 active wildfires burning across Canada, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center, with more than half (241) considered to be “out of control.”

So far, the fires have charred more than 9 million acres and forced more than 100,000 people to evacuate.

Read more on Yahoo News: Canada on track for its worst-ever wildfire season (Reuters)

Last week, smoke from at least 14 wildfires in Nova Scotia spread across the Northeast, with residents from Vermont to Connecticut reporting that they could not only see it but also smell it.

Is there a threat of wildfires in the U.S.?

The New York City skyline amid a hazy sky.
In New York City, the Air Quality Index reading of 166 is currently the second-worst in the U.S. (Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)

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 ripe for 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 any activities that could potentially lead to a wildfire, such as outdoor grilling, smoking and cutting down trees.

“Camping, outdoor grills, smoking materials, chain saws and all-terrain vehicles all have the potential to throw a spark and ignite a dangerous and destructive fire,” the weather service said, adding that “any fires that develop will likely spread quickly.”