An air quality health advisory has been enacted for New York City and adjacent areas owing to smoke emanating from Canadian wildfires. On Saturday, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Department of Health (DOH) announced the advisory for regions including Long Island, the New York City metro area, Lower and Upper Hudson Valley, and the Adirondacks. Residents are being alerted that air conditions in these areas will be "unhealthy for sensitive groups."
The Canadian wildfires have displaced tens of thousands of residents, with smoke crossing the border raising air quality alarms throughout parts of the northern United States. The air quality index (AQI) for much of New York state is forecasted to exceed 100 on Saturday, potentially reaching as high as 135. Additionally, air quality alerts have been issued for regions in New England.
The AQI indicates the level of air pollution and denotes health risks, with higher numbers signifying poorer air quality. This situation is not unprecedented; air quality alerts have previously been broadcast in various U.S. cities due to the smoke from these Canadian fires. In mid-July, Chicago also experienced a similar alert, prompting authorities to suggest additional precautions for vulnerable populations, including infants and the elderly.
The political ramifications of the wildfire smoke have made their way to Washington D.C. Notably, earlier this month, six Congressional representatives reached out to the Canadian ambassador to express frustration concerning the interference of wildfire smoke with summer enjoyment for Americans.
Currently, over 550 active fires rage in Canada, predominantly in Manitoba, with an extensive area of about 6.1 million hectares (approximately 15 million acres) burned across the country in the past year alone. May and June proved especially catastrophic in western Canada, resulting in around 30,000 individuals being evacuated from Saskatchewan and Manitoba, where local governments imposed states of emergency.
Scientists have continuously tied the increasing severity of wildfire seasons to climate change, noting that Canada is warming at nearly double the global average, with Arctic zones experiencing a temperature rise at almost three times the rate.
