2023-06-07 07:00:00
The Canadian authorities are on high alert due to the smoke generated by hundreds of forest fires that are active in the country and that will place the air quality in several cities at high risk levels.
(You can read: Fires in Canada: smoke locks millions of people in their homes)
But the consequences of the fires are spreading beyond the Canadian borders and the smoke is also affecting various parts of the United States, such as New York.
What is happening and why is there an alert? We tell you.
The situation in Canada
The smoke that covers much of Canada, and even the US, is the result of the more than 400 active fires in the country, including some 150 in Quebec, a number much higher than usual for this time of year.
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In fact, this year there have already been 2,200 forest fires that have burned 3.3 million hectares of forest and vegetation, more than 10 times the average area burned over the past decade.
The Canadian government has already warned that the weather forecasts for the summer, which anticipate dry conditions and very high temperatures, lead to fears that this year will be one of the worst in forest fires in the country’s history.
And the smoke from hundreds of fires is already causing a dramatic drop in air quality in some of the country’s major cities.
This Tuesday, the Canadian Meteorological Service placed the Canadian capital, Ottawa, in the worst classification on its air quality scale and warned that the population should stay indoors as much as possible, especially the elderly, children and individuals with respiratory difficulties.
Toronto, the most populous in the country, was covered all day by a layer of smoke that obscured the sun’s rays, while a burning smell permeated the entire city. The same scenes were repeated in Montreal and Quebec City.
And, this Wednesday, the Canadian authorities warned that the smoke will place the air quality of Toronto, the largest city in Canada, at high risk levels.
The Canadian Meteorological Service explained that the air quality in Toronto will drop on Wednesday night to a “moderate risk” and will reach “high risk” on Thursday.
On Thursday night, air quality will worsen to a “very high risk” level of 9 on a scale of 11.
The bad conditions will continue at least until the weekend when the arrival of a low pressure front is expected that will renew the air.
The impact on New York
But the fires are having a strong impact beyond Canada’s borders. This Tuesday, for example, the New York authorities warned that the forest fires that have broken out in Canada are affecting air quality in practically the entire state of New York.
“The state Department of the Environment has issued a health advisory for today (this Tuesday), as smoke from the wildfires in Canada is blowing into the air in New York City,” the city’s Health Department warned in a message posted on its Twitter account.
The state of New York, located in the northeast of the United States, borders Canada to the north.
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State authorities announced that on Tuesday, between 12:00 noon and midnight, the air quality in all regions of the state would be unhealthy for sensitive people.
According to the air quality measurement scale, this is at level 3, with 1 being “good” and 6 being “dangerous”.
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But the air quality alert already spread this Wednesday through several states in the northeast of the United States, reaching the US capital.
Residents of more than five US states woke up in a haze, caused by smoke.
The National Weather Service (NWS), for example, issued a “hazardous weather” alert for air quality in southern Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia, which will continue until next midnight.
(You can read: Colombian in the US fights for his life: he suddenly fell ill following crossing the border)
He also advised citizens in Massachusetts to avoid “prolonged outdoor activities” due to the presence of smoke, which they expect to continue through Thursday.
The state of New Jersey, for its part, indicated that the air quality at this time is not good, extended an alert for weather conditions until Thursday and asked citizens to limit the time they spend outside.
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The city of Philadelphia, in Pennsylvania, is also on “red alert” for air quality and asked its citizens to cancel outdoor activities, close doors and windows, and be vigilant in case they present symptoms such as nausea or difficulty breathing.
Smoke from the Canadian fires also reached Washington, the country’s capital, where the highest air quality alert was also declared for the first time in more than 10 years, The Washington Post reported.
City icons like the Washington and Lincoln Memorials have been caught in a cloud of smoke since early Wednesday morning.
Who should be careful?
According to the AP agency, the fine particles that are polluting the air due to the fires can irritate the lungs.
“When these particles reach the respiratory space, they trigger an inflammatory reaction in the body,” pulmonologist David Hill told the AP.
This is a situation that mainly affects the most sensitive groups such as children, the elderly or people with lung diseases such as asthma or COPD.
The situation has led authorities to alert citizens to the “dangerous” air conditions and to ask that outdoor activities be limited. “Smoke from forest fires can harm everyone’s health even in low concentrations,” stressed the Canadian Weather Service.
For his part, the New York Health Commissioner, Ashwin Vasan, asked New Yorkers to avoid going outside, unless it is “absolutely necessary” and recommended the use of masks, such as the N95, for those who have to carry out activities outside.
Experts and authorities have also warned regarding the need to keep doors, windows, and chimneys closed to prevent particles from entering homes.
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