This map from the National Weather Service shows where the air quality is affected from the wildfires in Canada. The areas in dark gray are under air quality alerts.
As more than 900 wildfires continue to burn in Canada, smoke from the fires is once again floating down to the U.S.
Air quality alerts were issued for the Midwest, the Great Lakes, the Northeast, and as far south as Tennessee and North Carolina. As the smoke again descends here, people are reminded that an Air Quality Index (AQI) above 300 is considered hazardous. You can check your air quality conditions at airnow.gov.
CLIMATE CRISIS Wildfires in Canada aren’t usually this bad at this time of year, but the climate crisis continues to cause heat, little rain and dry forests. More frequent and intense disasters are ravaging communities and upending lives as a result of our changing climate. In the U.S., wildfire seasons are lasting longer, and fires are becoming more frequent and aggressive. In the last 40 years, the number of acres burned by wildfires has more than tripled.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO Follow the advice of local officials regarding the air quality where you live and work. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), wildfire smoke is a mix of gases and fine particles that can make anyone sick. People with asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), heart disease, who are pregnant, children and responders are especially at risk.
Breathing in the smoke can cause almost immediate effects such as coughing, trouble breathing, wheezing, asthma attacks, stinging eyes, scratchy throat, runny nose and irritated sinuses, headaches, being tired, chest pain and a fast heartbeat.
Most importantly, try to keep the smoke outside.
Keep windows and doors closed. Choose a room you can close off from outside air.
Use fans and air conditioning to stay cool.
Set up a portable air cleaner or a filter to keep the air in this room clean even if it’s smoky in the rest of the building and outdoors.
Avoid using candles, gas, propane, wood-burning stoves, fireplaces, or aerosol sprays and don’t fry or broil meat, smoke tobacco products or vacuum.
If you have a central air conditioning system, use high efficiency filters to capture fine particles from the smoke. If your system has a fresh air intake, set the system to recirculate mode or close the outdoor intake damper.
If you're using a window air conditioner, make sure the seal between it and the window is as tight as possible and figure out how to close the outdoor air damper. For window air conditioning units, try running them on the fan mode. This will not bring in outside air, but circulate the air inside your home.
If you’re in your car, set the air to recirculate.
Pay attention to any health symptoms if you have asthma, COPD, heart disease, or are pregnant. Get medical help if you need it.
Use N95 face masks or respirator masks. Make sure to cover both your nose and mouth.
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