NEW YORK, June 8 (BNA): Smoke from Canadian wildfires streamed down the East Coast and Midwest of the United States on Wednesday, shrouding the capitals of the two countries in an unhealthy haze, disrupting flights at major airports, and postponing Major League Baseball games, And people pay. To hunt down face masks in the age of a pandemic.
Canadian officials have asked other countries for additional help fighting more than 400 fires across the country that have already displaced 20,000 people. Air with dangerous levels of pollution has spread to the New York metropolitan area, central New York state, and parts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Huge tongues of unhealthy air have spilled over into North Carolina and Indiana, affecting millions of people, according to the Associated Press (AP).
“I can taste the air,” said Dr. Ken Strompf in a Facebook post from Syracuse, New York, which was shrouded in amber. He later said by phone that the smoke made him feel a bit dizzy.
The Air Quality Index, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency measure of air pollution, exceeded a staggering 400 at times in Syracuse, New York City and Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley. Level 50 or less is considered good; Anything over 300 is considered “hazardous,” even when healthy people are advised to limit physical activity outdoors.
In Baltimore, Debbie Funk donned a blue surgical mask as her husband, Jack Hughes, took their daily walk around Fort McHenry, a national monument overlooking the Patapsco River. The air hangs thickly over the water, blocking the horizon.
“I came out this morning, and it was like a wave of smoke,” Funk said.
Canadian officials say this is shaping up to be the worst wildfire season the country has ever seen. Fire and environmental officials said it started earlier on drier than normal ground and accelerated very quickly, depleting firefighting resources across the country.
Smoke from fires in various parts of the country has been billowing into the United States since last month, but it has intensified with recent fires in Quebec, where about 100 cases were deemed out of control on Wednesday, which was, precariously, National Clean Air Day in Canada.
The smoke was so thick in downtown Ottawa, Canada’s capital, that the office towers across the Ottawa River were barely visible. In Toronto, Yeli Ma said her hiking plans were canceled and she’s been ditching restaurant patios, a beloved Canadian summer tradition.
“I put my mask away for over a year, and now I’ve had my mask on since yesterday,” the 31-year-old lamented.
Quebec Premier François Legault said the province currently has the capacity to fight about 40 fires and that the usual reinforcements from other provinces have been strained by fires in Nova Scotia and elsewhere.
More than 950 firefighters and other workers have arrived from the United States, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, with more scheduled to arrive soon, said Jennifer Kamau, spokeswoman for the Canadian Interagency Wildfire Center.
In Washington, White House press secretary Karen Jean-Pierre said President Joe Biden has sent more than 600 firefighters and equipment to Canada. She said his administration has contacted some US governors and local officials to offer assistance.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Twitter that he spoke on the phone with Biden and “thanked him for all the help Americans are providing as we continue to fight these devastating wildfires.”
The largest city in northern Quebec, Chibogamau, had about 7,500 residents evacuated on Tuesday, and Legault said nearly 4,000 residents of the northern Cree town of Mistysene will likely have to leave on Wednesday. But later in the day, Mistysene Chief Michael Pituapano said his community was still safe and asked residents to wait for instructions from Cree officials.
Eastern Quebec had some rain on Wednesday, but Canadian environmental meteorologist Simon Legault said he does not expect heavy rain for several days in remote areas of central Quebec where wildfires are most intense.
The current weather pattern in the central and eastern United States is mainly shifting smoke, said Zack Taylor, a meteorologist with the US National Weather Service. He said some rain should help clear the air somewhat in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic this weekend or early next week, though more overall relief will come from containing or extinguishing the fires.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said one million N95 masks will be available at state facilities. New York City closed beaches, and Mayor Eric Adams told residents to stay home as much as possible as smoke smoldered on the horizon. Zoos in the Bronx and Central Park closed early and brought their animals indoors.
The FAA grounded some flights to LaGuardia and slowed planes to Newark Liberty and Philadelphia because the smoke was reducing visibility. It also contributed to delays in arriving at Dulles International Airport outside Washington, where thick fog shrouded the Washington Monument and forced the cancellation of outdoor tours.
Major League Baseball suspended games in New York and Philadelphia, and a WNBA indoor game in Brooklyn was cancelled.
Schools in multiple states have canceled sports and other outdoor activities, shifting the recess period indoors. Wednesday and Thursday live horse racing at Delaware Park in Wilmington has been canceled. The organizers of World Running Day, a virtual 5K, advised participants to adjust their plans according to the air quality.
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