Canadian wildfire smoke triggers air quality health advisory for LI, NYC Metro regions Thursday

An air quality health advisory has been issued for Thursday for Long Island and NYC Metro regions due to elevated levels of fine particulate matter, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation said this afternoon.

Elevated fine particulate levels have reported across areas of New York State due to smoke from more than 200 wildfires that have raged in the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan since early last month, burning more than 2.3 million acres as of last week, according to the government of Canada.

Smoke from the fires have blanketed large swaths of the U.S., including the Upper Midwest, Midwest, Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic and New England regions. Smoke has reached as far south as Florida and as far north as Newfoundland, Canada. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Now Fire and Smoke Map depicts the current extent of the smoke plume.

Outdoor air quality levels are predicted to be greater than an air quality index value of 101 for fine particulates Thursday in the New York City and Long Island metro regions, according to the advisory, reaching 101 in the Long Island region and 107 in the NYC Metro region Thursday.

An AQI of 101-150 is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups. 

The air quality index for Long Island today is 70 for fine particulate matter and 87 for ozone. Both values are considered moderate. The AQI value for ozone tomorrow is forecast to reach 93. 

Ozone is produced by summer heat as a result of emissions from vehicles and smokestacks. Those emissions typically migrate to Long Island from out of state sources, the DEC said. 

The counties covered by tomorrow’s air quality health advisory are  New York, Bronx, Kings, Queens, Richmond, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam.

The air quality health advisory is in effect from midnight tonight to midnight Thursday.

When pollution levels are elevated, the State Department of Health recommends that individuals consider limiting strenuous outdoor physical activity to reduce the risk of adverse health effects. People who may be especially sensitive to the effects of elevated levels of pollutants include the very young, and those with preexisting respiratory problems such as asthma or heart disease, the DEC said. People who develop symptoms should consider consulting their personal physician.

A toll free air quality hotline, 1-800-535-1345, has been established so New York residents can stay informed on the air quality situation, the DEC said.