How Long Will This Wildfire Smoke Last?
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Smoke from hundreds of wildfires burning in Canada spread to the U.S. this week, leading to dangerous air quality levels in multiple American cities—conditions that forecasters say could continue into the weekend in some regions.
Parts of the Northeast and Midwest were shrouded in smoky, hazy skies on Thursday, while also grappling with record-high temperatures. Cities including Toledo, Milwaukee, and Detroit saw Air Quality Index (AQI) levels of over 500 on Thursday—far surpassing the level of 300 that indicates hazardous air quality.
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Being outside when the AQI is that high can have harmful health effects, including shortness of breath, throat irritation, itchy eyes, dizziness, fatigue, and a headache.
“When the AQI climbs into the 150+ range for a full day outside, that’s in the ballpark of [smoking] seven to nine cigarettes,” Dr. Jonathan M. Tan, division chief of General Anesthesiology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, told AccuWeather.
Read More: What Are The Risks of Extreme Heat Combined With Bad Air Quality?
Local officials and health experts urged people in areas grappling with poor quality to stay inside as much as possible and avoid strenuous activity. They recommended that people who need to go outside wear N95 masks to protect themselves from inhaling the polluted air as much as possible.
While forecasters have predicted that the heat and smoke will subside in some areas starting on Friday, they’ve also said that the air quality could worsen yet again this weekend in others. The National Weather Service said that air pollution would continue to be “a concern this weekend as northwesterly flow continues to usher in smoke from Canadian wildfires toward the northeastern quarter” of the country.
In Toledo, the AQI on Friday was still over 300. Those levels are expected to drop down to the 100-200 range by Saturday, according to AccuWeather’s forecast, though that is still considered unhealthy to very unhealthy. AccuWeather predicted that the unhealthy levels in Toledo, as well as in Milwaukee and Detroit, may persist throughout the weekend into Monday.
The worst of the smoke hit New York on Thursday, when AQI levels approached 200. On Friday, some of the smoke was swept away, slightly improving the air quality. But forecasters said that more smoke could travel back into the area later on Friday, worsening the pollution on Saturday—though not as bad as the air quality was on Thursday—before finally clearing up on Sunday.
In the nation’s capital, the AQI was around 200 on Friday. Forecasters predicted that the poor air quality would continue into Saturday—though not at levels as bad as on Friday—and eventually clear out on Sunday and Monday.
As of Friday afternoon, Detroit topped the list of cities that had the worst air quality in the world. Chicago and Washington, D.C., meanwhile, were ranked at number four and five, respectively. New York placed at number 14.
Meanwhile, roughly 900 fires were actively burning in Canada as of Friday afternoon, according to the Canadian government’s national wildland fire summary, including 122 that were classified as “out of control”—meaning they are expected to continue to spread.