2023-06-08 13:02:00
New York, etc. Air quality rating ‘danger’ stage… Disappeared mask reappears
Canada’s land loss, over a third of South Korea’s area… Overseas Assistance Request
An aerial view of a forest fire between Chibugamau and Misticini Aboriginal communities in Quebec, eastern Canada, taken on the 5th (local time). AFP Yonhap News
Warning lights have been put on the health of more than 100 million people, one-third of the US population, as smoke from wildfires in Canada has spread to the eastern United States. Masks that had disappeared for a while reappeared on the way to work and school in New York covered in smoke.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said on its website on the 7th (local time), “Smoke from Canadian wildfires is affecting air quality in areas ranging from the mid-Atlantic coast to the Northeast and parts of the upper Great Lakes.” Please check the location of the area, real-time air quality information, and actions to take to protect your health on the fire and smoke map.”
According to AFP, the EPA has issued air quality alerts to more than 100 million people in the United States. The EPA issues an alert when an air quality index (AQI) of 151 or higher is considered unhealthy for everyone. According to the EPA’s air quality information site AirNow, New York City’s AQI was 364, Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, 464, and Stratford, Connecticut, 325. In the air quality rating, which is classified into six levels according to the AQI, if it exceeds 300, it corresponds to the worst ‘hazardous’ level. Healthy adults recover quickly even if exposed to this level of air, but experts say that patients with asthma or cardiovascular disease, pregnant women, and the elderly should be especially careful.
According to smoke data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, smoke is spreading to the southeast and covering the eastern United States as wildfires in Canada spread. Already in the middle of last month, almost the entire northern United States, from western Oregon to eastern New York, was covered in smoke.
On this day, on the way to work and school in New York, the mask, which had disappeared for a while following the power of Corona 19 weakened, reappeared. Vehicles turned on their headlights even in broad daylight to ensure visibility. The street lamps were automatically turned on in the foggy atmosphere. The New York skyline and Statue of Liberty were also obscured by thick haze. The New York Times (NYT) said, “The smell of campfires filled the air.” The night before, the AQI in Manhattan, New York City, soared to 218, and CNN reported that the only place in India where the air quality was worse than New York at that time was New Delhi.
The situation in other parts of the East is similar. The Philadelphia Inquirer said smoke from Canada smelled like a fire in the entire Philadelphia area, and air quality had deteriorated to a level not seen in 15 years. Media in the capital, Washington, said that the buildings behind the Washington Monument were difficult to see because of the smoke. Some schools have canceled outdoor activities.
smoke visible from space Smoke covers the skies over New York and Pennsylvania in the eastern United States from wildfires in Canada on the 7th (local time). This is a satellite image released by NASA’s Earth Observatory. AFP Yonhap News
The Canadian wildfires that covered the United States with smoke are hardly extinguished due to dry weather and strong winds. The wildfires that occurred in Alberta last month began to spread due to dry weather and strong winds from the beginning of this month, and recently spread flames and smoke throughout eastern Quebec. As of today, 3.8 million hectares (38,000 km2) of land in Canada have been destroyed by forest fires. It is more than one-third of South Korea’s area (regarding 100,000 square kilometers). Canada’s Minister of Emergency Planning, Bill Blair, said 414 forest fires were still burning. Quebec Prime Minister François Lago said, “Right now, we can only suppress regarding 40 places at the same time with our manpower,” and “we need to focus on more urgent areas.”
As wildfires spread, Canada awaits foreign aid. Quebec hoped to receive 500 more firefighters from France, the United States and Portugal in the next few days. “We are communicating with the Canadian government and sending over 600 firefighters, personnel and equipment to help put out the fire,” White House spokeswoman Carine Jean-Pierre said at a briefing that day. case,” he said.
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