Raging wildfires in Quebec are generating heavy smoke and hazy skies beyond the eastern US and Canada

() — Millions of people in the United States and Canada will remain at risk of inhaling potentially harmful air from the Quebec wildfires, as officials increasingly urge people to limit time spent outdoors and wear face masks for added protection. .

Colossal clouds of dense smoke from more than 430 active wildfires raging in Canada have descended on parts of the northeastern US and the mid-Atlantic, shrouding neighborhoods, parks and school grounds in an orange haze filled with potential pollutants. And forecasts suggest it may take several days for the air to clear.

With around 75 million people under air quality alerts in the US, public schools in Yonkers, New York, are closed this Thursday. Other school districts in New York, Maryland, Virginia and Washington City canceled outdoor activities, while the governor of New Jersey encouraged local school districts to do the same.

“It’s bad or really bad, depending on where they are,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy told ‘s Jake Tapper on Wednesday, urging “young children, seniors, anyone with heart problems or lungs, to stay inside. If you have to go out, consider wearing a good fitting N95 mask.”

Winds are forecast to continue to push the thick smoke farther south into the mid-Atlantic, meaning the same ominous smoke that generated some of the world’s worst air quality in New York City this week could suffocate to Delaware, Maryland, Northern Virginia and Washington City this Thursday morning.

This Thursday, the air quality in the city of Washington was raised to “code purple” in the morning, indicating very unhealthy air conditions for everyone.

The mayor and city officials urge residents to stay inside as much as possible. If you must go out, officials recommend wearing an N95 or KN95 mask.

Check out this almost unbelievable time-lapse of wildfire smoke consuming the World Trade Center and the New York City skyline.

Those vulnerable to poor air quality, including seniors and young children, should limit time outdoors if possible.

More: https://t.co/ChRuWv7X6E pic.twitter.com/mtKtLun8lN

— NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) June 7, 2023

As of Wednesday night, the air quality index in New York City topped 320, meaning it was “dangerous” or level 6 of 6, the worst designation from AirNow.gov, a quality data site. of the air maintained in association by various government agencies. The city’s air quality begins to improve slightly early Thursday morning, though still at a “very unhealthy” level 5 of 6.

Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pa., were the hardest-hit metro areas early Thursday morning, with air quality reading “hazardous.” Other major US cities facing “unhealthy” or “unhealthy for sensitive groups” levels include Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Washington City.

Smoke from wildfires has generated some of the worst air quality measurements in decades, according to Mark Zondlo, an atmospheric chemist specializing in air quality monitoring and a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Princeton University.

“What makes it really unique, apart from the fact that the fires themselves are huge, is that the air stays very close to the ground. So instead of being pulled up and dispersing throughout the atmosphere or being in the layer 3,000 meters above us, it’s basically stuck to the ground and therefore not dispersing,” Zondlo told .

“The weather pattern is such that it’s channeling that plume of smoke, keeping it glued to the ground, and it’s coming at us.”

Air quality in Canada has declined as ferocious fires trigger evacuation orders, including for some 7,000 people in the Quebec city of Chibougamau.

US President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau discussed the impact of the wildfires on air quality on Wednesday, according to a statement from Trudeau’s office.

“Both leaders recognized the need to work together to address the devastating impacts of climate change,” the statement read.

Biden has directed federal firefighting resources to help stop the blazes, the White House said, adding that more than 600 firefighters and support personnel have already been deployed.

As long as those conditions persist, experts and officials have urged people to stay indoors as much as possible and wear N95 or KN95 face masks when outside to ensure they are properly protected.

Smoke affects airports in the region

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a ground stop Thursday for Philadelphia International Airport due to low visibility due to smoke from wildfires.

The ground stop will be in effect until 9:15 a.m. Miami time, and is unlikely to be extended, according to information on the FAA website.

The FAA tweeted: “The sorties to @PHLAirport They are suspended due to poor visibility.”

Meanwhile, LaGuardia Airport in New York continues to experience ground delays, with an average delay of just under an hour, according to the FAA. The FAA tweeted: “We have stopped flights from the Northeast, Ohio and the Mid-Atlantic bound for @LGAairport.”

The FAA earlier said in a tweet: “Reduced visibility from wildfire smoke will continue to affect air travel today. We may need to take steps to safely manage the flow of traffic into New York City, [Washington] DC, Philadelphia and Charlotte.

New York City to cancel all outdoor events

Wildfires leading to such poor air quality have become more common and severe as the planet warms from the impacts of human-induced climate change, experts say.

“We typically see these impacts with wildfires in the western US and in the western mountains,” said Dr. Peter DeCarlo, an associate professor in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

“The East Coast is generally a little more insulated from this kind of thing. Our forests tend to be wetter and don’t burn as much, but looking forward with climate change, while this is a unique experience that we’re seeing right now, it may become much less unique, and a little more common, in the future. “.

Two Orthodox Jewish men by the sea as haze and smoke from the wildfires in Canada blanket the Manhattan skyline, in Brooklyn, New York, on Wednesday. (Credit: Amr Alfiky/Reuters)

As New York’s air remains compromised, the state is providing one million N95 masks to those who need them, the governor announced Wednesday night.

About 400,000 of those masks will be distributed at New York state parks and public transportation stations, among other locations, Gov. Kathy Hochul said. An additional 600,000 masks will be available in Homeland Security stockpiles for local governments to pick up, she added.

“Just stay inside. The outdoors is dangerous in almost all parts of our state,” the governor said, calling the poor air quality “unprecedented.”

To that end, outdoor events held by New York City have been canceled and the city’s beaches will also remain closed, Mayor Eric Adams said Wednesday.

While conditions may improve overnight through Thursday morning, air quality during the afternoon and evening will plummet again, Adams said.

“I want to be clear, while conditions may improve significantly Friday morning, smoke predictability is low, smoke movement is difficult to predict. This is a series of unpredictable events,” she added.

Alerts for air quality are extended

Elsewhere, officials in Pennsylvania and Delaware issued a “code red” to warn residents of potentially harmful air quality.

A code red was issued in Philadelphia on Wednesday, warning that the elderly, young children, and people who are pregnant or have heart or lung conditions could experience serious health effects from smoke, according to James Garrow, a spokesman for the Philadelphia Department of Public Affairs. Philadelphia Health.

“For those who do not consider themselves to be in a sensitive group, we ask that you avoid strenuous outdoor activities such as jogging or exercising,” Garrow told .

For Delaware, an air quality alert and a code red day of action are in effect through this Thursday. State officials have advised residents to limit time spent outdoors and stay in a space with filtered air.

Additionally, Rhode Island’s air quality alert has been extended through Thursday, citing heavy smoke and noxious particulate matter in the air quality index.

— ‘s Robert Shackelford, Laura Ly, Rachel Ramirez, Meg Tirrell, Sara Smart, Mitchell McCluskey, DJ Judd, Jen Christensen, Paula Newton, Liam Reilly, Dugald McConnell and Brandon Miller contributed to this report.