Canadian wildfires expected to affect air quality across Tri-State area through Friday

new york – New York and most of the Tri-State area Air quality health warning reappeared Thursday.

Smoke from wildfires in Canada continues to blanket our area. Officials say the air is going to get worse, but they don’t think it will be as bad as it was earlier this month.

Governor Kathy Hochul It issued an update on the situation and the state’s response and warned those in so-called “sensitive groups” to be careful.

“Air quality is unhealthy in every corner of New York State,” she says. “The truth is that there is no end in sight…Right now the numbers don’t seem to be as high as they were three weeks ago when the sky was literally orange, but there are still significant health risks. .”

CBS New York’s John Diaz spoke with people this morning in Long Island City, Queens about how to prepare for the day ahead. He met his new mother, Shanna Horowitz, who gave birth to twin boys in early June – just days before giving birth.) Wildfire smoke engulfed the citywill in the short term become the most polluted place in the world.

“They were only three days old and were born prematurely, so I was very nervous,” she said.

Luckily, this time it seems to be a different story.

“We’re confirming the alerts, so we’re just going to keep track,” Horowitz said.

Many who spoke to Diaz said they were concerned that the smoke from the fire would continue to cause problems in the area. Climate change makes things worse.

“Maybe things like this will start happening more often,” said Greg Wilker of Sunnyside, Queens.

What you need to know

State officials say the highest concentrations of smoke occur in upstate and west New York, but New York City and surrounding areas should prepare for unhealthy air quality for sensitive populations.

Therefore, New Yorkers with cardiovascular or lung disease, children under the age of 18, adults over the age of 65, and pregnant women should avoid the outdoors and be aware of their symptoms.

“when [ash] If it gets in your lungs, you’re going to burn yourself,” said Dr. Norman Edelman, a pulmonologist at Stony Brook.

How Air Quality Affects Your Health

Officials expect smoke effects to be likely to be seen in the area through Friday, and have said continued vigilance this weekend through July 4.

“There’s smoke out there. If you look at the national forecast, it’s staying in place and dissipating very slowly. We expect them to move,” New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Segos said Wednesday.

The DEC chief also warned that an unhealthy spike in air pollution is likely on Thursday, but that it won’t last long. If the Air Quality Index exceeds the “very unhealthy” threshold of 200 for more than an hour, a cell phone emergency alert alerts New Yorkers.

Meanwhile, the governor sent a third ranger to Canada to help fight the fire. The state will also provide hundreds of thousands of masks to major transportation hubs.