Smoke from wildfires that are scorching the landscape in portions of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia has made its way to the Northeast and will eventually filter into parts of the mid-Atlantic this week while crews work to contain and extinguish the blazes.
Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate, and officials in Halifax, the provincial capital, said about 200 homes and other structures have been damaged by the fires.
Residents have been told to evacuate via alert notifications and public service announcements, as well as by police and other first responders who have been going door-to-door to warn of the impending danger.
Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency (HRFE) crews have been fighting the fires in several areas, which have so far burned nearly 2,000 acres, and almost 16,500 people have been told to flee.
There have been no reports of injuries, deaths or missing residents, according to local officials.
Officials at Nova Scotia Power said on Twitter that they have temporarily disconnected power in the affected regions, and communities near the fires may experience telecommunication disruptions.
HOW THE LAY OF THE LAND AFFECTS WILDFIRE BEHAVIOR
The National Weather Service in Boston said Tuesday that smoke from the fires in Nova Scotia had made its way into parts of the Northeast, including Cape Cod in Massachusetts.
The NWS had warned that some people with sensitive noses may have been able to smell the smoke, and that was confirmed when the NWS said on Twitter that they had smelled it at the office located in Norton, Massachusetts.
FLYING THROUGH CANADIAN WILDFIRE SMOKE IN THE NORTHERN TIER
Smoke from the wildfires will continue to filter into the Northeast on Tuesday and Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the thickest smoke will likely be centered along the East Coast from portions of Maine south through southern New England and Long Island, New York.
By Wednesday, winds are expected to blow from the northeast, and that will push smoke into places like New York City, Philadelphia and Washington.
Winds will then shift and allow the smoke to blow back into interior portions of New York state and the Northeast.
No air quality alerts have been issued, but those who are sensitive to smokey conditions should take precautions.