- “This is the climate change that people breathe,” says the expert.
- Elderly and medically vulnerable people are urged to stay home.
- Unhealthy air readings are reported in at least 10 US states.
NEW YORK: Thick smoke from hundreds of wildfires in Canada engulfed a swath of the United States from the Midwest to the Northeast on Thursday, prompting warnings from officials that residents should stay home whenever possible and avoid acrid, unhealthy air.
Detroit recorded the worst air quality of any city in the world this Thursday, according to the monitoring company IQAir, with a pollutant index of 600, double the level considered “dangerous” by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Federal data showed dangerous levels of smoke in Minnesota, Michigan, northern Illinois, northern Ohio and Ontario, with dangerous readings in major cities such as Minneapolis, Milwaukee and Toronto. Ten states reported at least some locations with an “unhealthy” reading, stretching from Minnesota to southern Maryland.
“It’s wild because when you look outside you think it’s fog, and the city is completely covered, and it’s smoke, because when we walk outside it’s burning,” said Chicago resident Stephanie Villanova, 33, as she went for a late-morning walk downtown with her 68-year-old father. Both were wearing masks.
Outdoor shows, fairs and other events in Minnesota, including a concert by the rock band Creed at the Mystic Lake Amphitheater outside Minneapolis, were canceled Thursday due to poor air quality, the Minnesota Star PakGazette reported.
Municipal pools, nature campgrounds, golf courses and all scheduled outdoor events and programs in Minneapolis were also closed, the city’s Parks and Recreation Board announced.
‘River of smoke’
Minnesota’s northeastern Iron Range region along Lake Superior, including the cities of Duluth and Hibbing, recorded concentrations of fine particles as high as 900 micrograms per cubic meter of air, triple the threshold classified as hazardous, according to the state’s Pollution Control Agency.
“It’s basically a river of smoke pouring into the Midwest right now,” said Emily Fischer, an atmospheric chemist and professor at Colorado State University. “This is a direct connection to climate change. This is the climate change that people breathe.”
The smoke was expected to worsen throughout the day. In New York, where the sky was tinted with an orange haze and the air smelled pungent, local officials urged residents to limit their time outdoors and warned the elderly, pregnant women and people with other risk factors, such as heart and lung diseases, to stay indoors.
The dangerous conditions in the New York City metropolitan area came just days before the FIFA World Cup final was to be played Sunday in nearby New Jersey in front of more than 80,000 fans.
“Today is expected to be the worst day of this event,” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said at a meeting Thursday. “At ‘unhealthy’ levels, everyone – not just people with asthma or heart conditions, not just older adults – everyone can feel health effects. That’s why all New Yorkers today should take precautions.”
The city was handing out free KN95 masks at hundreds of libraries, police stations and fire stations, the mayor said.
As of Thursday morning, authorities counted 858 fires across Canada, including 111 considered out of control. Most of the fires occurred in the central provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario.
According to government data, approximately 5.9 million acres (2.4 million hectares) have burned during this wildfire season in Canada. Climate experts say rising global temperatures are causing an increase in the frequency and intensity of wildfires around the world.
Wildfire smoke, which can linger in the air for weeks and travel thousands of miles, is more toxic than normal air pollution. Studies have linked wildfire smoke to higher rates of heart attacks, strokes, cancer, pregnancy complications, and weakened immune defenses.
