Fires: Canada burns, New York under a blanket of smoke

Smoke from Canadian wildfires has crossed the border of UNITED STATES Wednesday, blanketing the capitals of both nations in an unhealthy haze.

THE Canada is having its worst fire season. It started early in drier-than-usual terrain and picked up speed very quickly, depleting firefighting resources across the country, according to fire and environment officials.

Canadian officials have asked other countries for additional help to fight more than 400 fires nationwide that have already displaced 20,000 people.

Smoke from fires in Canada is poisoning the United States

Smoke from fires in various parts of the country is spreading to UNITED STATES since last month. This has intensified with the recent fires in Quebecwhere around 100 fires were deemed out of control on Wednesday.

The smoke was so thick downtownOttawathe capital of Canadathat the office towers just across the Rivière des Outaouais were barely visible.

AT Toronto, Yili Ma said her hiking plans had been canceled and she was giving up restaurant patios, a much-loved Canadian summer tradition.

“I put my mask away for over a year, and now I put it back on every trip outside”the 31-year-old said.

Flights at major airports on the East Coast and Midwest have been delayed, games in the major league baseball were postponed and people fished out pandemic-era face masks to protect themselves from the smoke.

The air with dangerous pollution levels has spread to the metropolitan area of new Yorkin the center of the State of new York and some parts of the Pennsylvania and New Jersey, affecting millions of people. States as far south as North Carolina and Indiana were also affected.

“I can taste the air”said the Dr. Ken Strumpfof Syracuse, new York, in a Facebook post, which was wrapped in an amber sheet. The smoke, he said later over the phone, even made him a little dizzy.

The air quality index, a measure of theUS Environmental Protection Agency for Air Pollutionhas sometimes exceeded the staggering figure of 400 to SyracuseTo new York and in the valley of Lehigh in Pennsylvania.

A level of 50 or less is considered good; anything over 300 is considered “dangerous”while even healthy people are advised to reduce outdoor physical activity.

“I went out this morning and it was like a puff of smoke”said Debbie Funkwho wore a surgical mask during his daily outing around Fort McHenry To Baltimore.

All of Canada’s firefighting forces are called upon

THE Premier of Quebec, Francois Legaultsaid the province currently has the capacity to fight about 40 fires – and that the usual reinforcements from other provinces have been stretched by the fires in New Scotland and elsewhere.

The spokesperson for Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center, Jennifer Kamausaid more than 950 firefighters and other personnel arrived from UNITED STATESofAustraliaof New Zealand and D’South Africawith more to come soon.

AT Washingtonthe White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierresaid the President Joe Biden sent more than 600 firefighters and equipment to the Canada. Her administration has reached out to some US governors and local officials to provide assistance, she said.

THE Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Twitter that he spoke by phone with Biden and “thanked him for all the help the Americans are providing as we continue to fight these devastating wildfires”.

Mass evacuations underway

Chibougamauthe largest city in northern Quebec with a population of about 7,500, was evacuated on Tuesday.

East of Quebec received rain on Wednesday, but the Montreal meteorologist fromEnvironment Canada, Simon Legaultsaid no significant rain was forecast for days in remote areas of central Quebec where wildfires are more intense.

The meteorologist of United States National Weather Service, Zach Taylorsaid the current weather conditions in the central and eastern UNITED STATES essentially engulfed in smoke.

A little rain should help clear the air somewhat in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic this weekend or early next week, although more thorough relief will come from containing or extinguishing fires, he said.

Sporting events and flights were impacted in New York

The governor of new York, Kathy Hochul, said one million N95 masks would be available at facilities across the state. The city of new York closed the beaches and the mayor Eric Adams advised residents to stay indoors as much as possible. The zoos of Bronx and of Central Park closed early and brought their animals inside.

There Federal Aviation Administration suspended some flights to the airport of LaGuardia and slowed the planes to Newark Liberty And Philadelphia because the smoke limited visibility.

The smoke also contributed to delaying arrivals at the international airport of Dulles outside Washingtonwhere a thick mist shrouded the washington monument and forced the cancellation of outdoor tours.

There Major League Baseball postponed matches to new York and to Philadelphiaand even an indoor match of the WNBA To brooklyn has been cancelled.

AT Broadwaythe star of “Killing Eve”, Jodie Comerhad difficulty breathing and left the morning of “Prima Face” after 10 minutes; the show rebooted with a one-liner, the show’s publicists said.

“Hamiltons” And “Camelot” canceled Wednesday night performances, publicists from “Hamiltons” claiming that the deterioration of the air quality “prevented a number of our artists from performing”. AT Central Parkthe popular outdoor performances of Shakespeare in the Park have been postponed until Friday.

How have other US states responded to the fires?

Schools in several states have canceled sports and other outdoor activities, moving breaks indoors. Live horse racing was canceled on Wednesday and Thursday at Delaware Park To Wilmington. The organizers of Global Running Daya virtual 5K, advised attendees to adjust their plans based on air quality.

THE New Jersey closed state offices and some political events early in locations ranging from manhattan To Harrisburgin Pennsylvania, have been moved in or postponed. Striking Hollywood writers have been removed from picket lines in the metro area of new York.

The smoke has exacerbated the health problems of people such as Vicki Burnett67, who suffers from asthma and has had severe bouts of bronchitis.

After taking his dogs out on Wednesday morning at Farmington Hillsin the Michigan, Burnett said: “I came in and started coughing and jumped into my bed.”Still, she emphasized that she cares about Canadians, not just herself.“It’s unfortunate, and I have a few issues because of it, but they have far greater concerns than mine.”she said.