Silver Spring, Md. – Millions of people across the Great Lakes and portions of the Northeast are facing unhealthy to hazardous air quality as dense wildfire smoke continues to spread across the region, prompting widespread Air Quality Alerts and health advisories.
According to the National Weather Service, smoke from ongoing Canadian wildfires has significantly reduced air quality across multiple states, with some communities experiencing Unhealthy, Very Unhealthy and even Hazardous conditions on the Air Quality Index (AQI). Officials are urging residents to monitor local air quality closely as smoke concentrations continue to fluctuate.
The Air Quality Index measures the health impacts of air pollution on a scale from 0 to 500. An AQI of 0 to 50 is considered Good, while readings from 51 to 100 are Moderate. Levels of 101 to 150 are Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, 151 to 200 are Unhealthy for everyone, 201 to 300 are Very Unhealthy, and readings above 300 are classified as Hazardous, posing health risks to the entire population.
Health officials recommend limiting outdoor activity when air quality deteriorates, especially for children, older adults, pregnant women and people with asthma, heart disease or other respiratory conditions. During periods of very unhealthy or hazardous air quality, everyone should avoid prolonged outdoor exposure, keep windows closed and use air conditioning or air filtration systems if available.
Air Quality Alerts remain in effect across portions of the Great Lakes and the Northeast, and additional advisories may be issued as wildfire smoke continues to shift with changing weather patterns. Residents can check current local conditions and forecasts through the National Weather Service and AirNow.gov.
