The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is issuing another air quality warning through Thursday because of the ongoing Canadian wildfires.
It’s the second time already this month that New Yorkers have been affected by the smoke emanating from the blazes up north.
According to the announcement from the health department, officials said “that conditions could deteriorate — getting worse on Thursday.” On Wednesday, New York City was in the moderate range, between 51 and 100, on the air quality index (AQI).
Air quality issues affect people differently, the advisory states, but children, older adults and people with heart or breathing problems should take precaution especially if the AQI is between 101 and 150. Everyone should take precaution, which includes limiting outdoor time and wearing a high-quality face mask outside, when the AQI exceeds 150.
The health department announcement states that wind patterns can quickly change air quality without notice. Worsening air quality over the next few days could be especially toxic to Bronxites, who are most disproportionately affected by asthma.
Earlier this month, smoke enveloped parts of the East Coast and shrouded New York City in a doomsday-esque bright orange glow on June 8 — a phenomenon relatively foreign to the city, but all too familiar for West Coast residents during the peak of summer wildfire season. Around 3 p.m. on June 8, the city was at “hazardous” levels, clocking in at more than 300 on the AQI.
By this week, the Associated Press reported that Canada surpassed the record for area burned. The smoke — much of it originating from blazes in the eastern province of Quebec — had Detroit topping the charts with the worst air quality in the U.S. on Wednesday, as other states in the Great Lakes region are struggling with the unhealthy haze. NASA even detected smoke traveling as far as the Iberian Peninsula and France in Europe.
Canadian officials this week said that rainfall in the forecast for Quebec likely won’t be enough to extinguish the blazes, although it might give firefighters a chance “to get ahead of the flames.”
The NYC health advisory states that the city will provide alerts in the next few days if conditions get worse, but emphasized that New Yorkers should listen to their bodies and call 911 if they’re having trouble breathing. Symptoms during poor air quality events include watery eyes, a scratchy throat, headaches and shortness of breath.
To sign up for alerts from @NotifyNYC, visit http://nyc.gov/notify.
For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
