Have you been wondering why the sky looks a little hazier than usual this week? Do your allergies seem a little more severe than normal? You can thank the wildfires currently raging across Canada.
Smoke from wildfires in Quebec is being blown into Northeastern states which is creating unhealthy air for the affected areas. Air quality in New York City has been at its worst in a long time, and you can visibly see the smokey haze clouding the sky. Other than some potentially stunning sunsets, the pollution is causing harmful effects throughout the United States.
The air has been categorized as “unhealthy” from northeast Pennsylvania to New England and
“unhealthy for sensitive groups” throughout other areas of the Northeast. Air quality is categorized into six categories; Good, Moderate, Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, Unhealthy, Very Unhealthy and Hazardous. For more detailed information on the air quality ratings, visit airnow.gov.
The smoke has lowered the air quality into the unhealthy levels, which can cause negative effects on
your health. This can include coughing, shortness of breath, increased heart rate and can aggravate
chronic heart and lung conditions. So if you are sensitive to poor air quality conditions, it is best not to
spend too much time outside in these conditions. It also may be a good idea to change the air filters in your home and turn on that air purifier if you have one.

As of this morning (Jun 7), air quality alerts have been issued in areas of the following states:
Indiana
Kentucky
Ohio
West Virginia
Virginia
North Carolina
South Carolina
Maryland
Delaware
Pennsylvania
New Jersey
New York
Connecticut
Rhode Island
Massachusetts
Vermont
New Hampshire
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