PHILADELPHIA – Hazardous wildfire smoke billowing into the U.S. from Canada has millions of Pennsylvania residents from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia under air quality alerts as the thick smoke leaves an eerie haze in the sky.
More than 400 wildfires are burning right now in Canada, with the blazes burning in Quebec having the biggest impact on Americans in the Northeast, New England and mid-Atlantic.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection issued a Code Red Air Quality Action Day across Pennsylvania as smoke continues to filter into the state and will contribute to high levels of fine particulate matter in the air.
Residents are urged to limit outdoor activities, especially older people, children and those with lung or respiratory conditions.
AQI levels in Pennsylvania range from “Moderate” and “Unhealthy” to “Very Unhealthy.” Those “Very Unhealthy” levels have been reported in the Philadelphia area.
WHY YOU SHOULD AVOID REFUELING YOUR CAR OR GRILLING DURING UNHEALTHY AIR QUALITY
The National Weather Service has issued Air Quality Alerts across Pennsylvania, including major cities like Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Harrisburg.
However, the Air Quality Alerts aren’t just limited to Pennsylvania. Air Quality Alerts are in effect for 114 million Americans from New England to the Carolinas.
WHY WILDFIRE SMOKE IS TURNING THE MOON RED
Cities along the East Coast are reporting the worst air quality in the country. The AQI has reached hazardous levels in New York, with areas of central New York reaching 411.
Very Unhealthy AQI levels are also reported in Susquehanna Valley, Pennsylvania, Nassau and Wayne County, New York.
WHAT TO DO WHEN WILDFIRE SMOKE SMOTHERS YOUR AREA AND HOW TO KEEP YOUR HOME’S AIR CLEAN
A regular assessment of air quality in the United States started in 1976, about six years after the Environmental Protection Agency was created.
According to AirNow.gov, the law requires any metropolitan area with a population of more than 350,000 to report air quality daily.
The Air Quality Index s we know it today was released in 1999, according to AirNow.gov. It has gone through several updates over the years, but the goal has always been the same — to offer people an easy-to-understand daily report about the air they’re breathing and indicate what air quality is dangerous.