As soon as you walk outside, I’m sure you’ve noticed the smokey sky stemming from the wildfires in Canada.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection declaring today a Code Red air quality action day throughout the state.
Officials say Pennsylvanians should limit their outdoor activities.
More than 55 million people in the US are under air quality alerts including here in our region as wildfire smoke from Canada blankets a big section of the country.
Karin Caifa has more on what the air quality alerts mean and who it affects most.
In New York City, the Nation’s Capital, West to Detroit, and down to North Carolina
Millions of Americans are under alert for unhealthy air quality conditions
As Canadian wildfire smoke floats a mix of pollutants through us skies.
“It affects every part of the airway system from the nose all the way down to the lungs.”
So experts say take caution.
“When the air quality is this bad, everybody should try to stay indoors.”
Especially those with pre-existing conditions that impact the heart and lungs.
“Make sure that you anticipate ahead of time if you need specific medications, especially inhalers for asthmatics.”
With more than 9 million acres charred by Canadian wildfires so far this year Dr. John Balmes of the University of California, San Francisco and UC Berkeley says the EasternUS should anticipate future air quality concerns like the West does.
“This is a wake up call for those in the East Coast about what is in store for the future. These wildfires are gonna continue to be a problem.”
“The air can still be polluted and have a large number of particles in it for many days after the fires. So it would be important to monitor the air quality in your area before you decide to go outside and do a lot of outdoor activities.”
