It is an alarm for the enormous cloud of smoke caused by the fires that have broken out in Canada. Tens of millions of people in North America have woken up to dangerous levels of air quality. Smoke blanketed large swathes of Ontario and Quebec, while an orange haze has since hung over much of the northeastern United States. Some cities, including Toronto and New York, briefly experienced the worst air quality in the world overnight.
All outdoor activities in public schools in the Big Apple and Washington have been canceled, and “code red” for air quality has been triggered in the capital. New York Mayor Eric Adams said the decision was made based on forecasts of a worsening smoke cloud this afternoon. “At the moment, we have taken precautions to protect the health of New Yorkers,” he added, recommending that senior citizens or citizens with health problems avoid going outside or wearing a mask.
Most of the smoke comes froml Quebec, where 160 fires are in progress. Canadian officials say the country is about to face the worst fire season on record. Experts blamed a hotter and drier than normal spring as the cause of the fires. These climatic conditions should continue throughout the summer
Environment Canada yesterday issued a high-level alert for air quality in Ottawa, with a “very high risk” to people’s health. In Toronto and surrounding areas, the air quality was instead classified as “high risk”.
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