Smoke from Distant Canadian Wildfires Covers Long Island, Affecting Air Quality
NASSAU COUNTY, NY - Residents of Long Island and most of the Northeastern United States are dealing with an unusual occurrence as smoke from more than 150 wildfires burning in Canada currently blankets the area, seriously impacting visibility.
With more than 150 wildfires burning throughout the Quebec province of Canada, and more than 110 of them considered “out of control”, the heavy smoke from the fires can be seen and smelled throughout Long Island on both Tuesday and Wednesday.
The National Weather Service issued an Air Quality Alert and Dense Smoke Advisory for both Nassau County and Suffolk County as a result of wind pushing the wildfire smoke into our area.
A ground stop at LaGuardia International Airport in Queens, New York was issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Wednesday afternoon as visibility plummeted, forcing flights to be delayed for an average of 30 minutes.
The Town of Oyster Bay’s Department of Sanitation released a robocall to the residents notifying them that regularly scheduled sanitation and recycling collection will not occur on Thursday, June 8, 2023 due to the deteriorating air quality in an effort to protect the sanitation workers from the impacts of the pollutants in the air.
As of 5:00PM on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, according to the AirNow, a website logging Air Index Quality that includes data from the New York Department of Environmental Conversation, these are the following AQI ratings for the Long Island area:
Williston Park, New York - 326 (Hazardous)
Glen Cove, New York - 324 (Hazardous)
Merrick, New York - 357 (Hazardous)
Islandia, New York - 393 (Hazardous)
Port Jefferson, New York - 388 (Hazardous)
It is recommended that those with heart and lung disease, older adults, children, and teens avoid physical activity outside.
For everyone else outside of the above age group, it’s recommended that you avoid strenuous activity and keep outdoor activity limited.
Extended exposure to the fine particulate matter can cause irritation to the eyes, nose and throat. It can also cause coughing, sneezing, runny nose, and shortness of breath. Prolonged exposure to the elevated levels of pollutants can also worsen asthma and heart disease.
Conditions may improve towards the end of this week as the wind shifts, but this weekend could see more smoke throughout the northeastern United States as the winds shift once again. Officials say that air quality conditions may not be improved until next week.
