Smoke from Canadian wildfires impacting air quality in SWPA
Wildfires burning in eastern Canada are creating unhealthy air quality conditions in southwestern Pennsylvania.
Smoke from the fires in Nova Scotia – which are impacting several states in the U.S. – prompted the state Department of Environmental Protection to issue a “code orange” air quality alert for the greater Pittsburgh region, including Washington and Fayette counties, signifying unhealthy air pollution concentrations.
The advisory runs through Tuesday.
At-risk populations including children, the elderly, and people suffering from asthma, heart or lung diseases, should avoid the outdoors and strenuous activity, according to an advisory from the Pittsburgh National Weather Service.
“RAP Smoke model shows relatively high concentrations of near-surface smoke from the Canadian wildfires will continue to move southward into this part of the country over the next couple of days,” NWS Pittsburgh tweeted.
Additionally, people are encouraged to avoid open burning and avoid using gas-powered lawn equipment, and to reduce or avoid using fireplaces and wood stoves.
Hazy skies have blanketed the area, as Canada experiences one of the worst starts to its wildfire season ever recorded.
In total, more than 3.6 million acres have burned in 2,265 fires so far this year. As of Tuesday, Canada has 416 wildfires burning, including 240 burning out of control, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Firefighters are battling 162 fires in Quebec alone.
Thousands of Canadians have been forced to flee their homes, and evacuation orders have been put in place in many areas.
Air pollution from wildfire smoke has become a growing health risk in the United States.
Fine particulate matter in wildfire smoke can be extremely harmful to the lungs, especially for children, older adults and those with asthma, COPD and bronchitis, or a chronic heart disease or diabetes, according to the American Lung Association.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, along with partner agencies including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA, maintains an interactive map of air quality data called AirNow at https://www.airnow.gov/wildfires/ that enables users to see the locations of active fires and assess local conditions and risks.
Also Tuesday, the National Weather Service issued an alert that extended dry conditions, combined with lower humidity and gusty winds, could heighten brush fire risks across all of western Pennsylvania, including Washington, Greene and Fayette counties.
The weather service advises people to be cautious handling cigarettes, matches, or machinery that has the potential to ignite, and to avoid burning brush or grasses.