Millions Under Smoke Advisory Due To Canada Wildfires
Air quality in the north and eastern US is rapidly declining as hundreds of Canadian wildfires burn out of control.
Twenty US states were under air alerts on Monday, according to AirNow, a government website that tracks harmful airborne pollutants. Major Canadian cities are also affected.
Meanwhile, Canada has deployed federal troops to fight freshly-sparked fires in the western part of the country.
Two Canadian firefighters have died combatting the blazes.
The alerts in the US stretch from Montana in the west to New York in the east and as far south as Alabama.
Health officials in Canada are also warning of medium to high smoke risk in cities across the country including Calgary, Montreal, Quebec and Toronto.
Officials in New York have warned people to stay inside on Monday, but say conditions will not be as bad as last month when the fires turned skies orange over the state.
Residents of Midwestern states such Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin are also being advised to limit how much time they spend outdoors.
Read Also: Wildfires Burn Across Canada With Little Relief In Sight
The Air Quality Index topped 150 in multiple cities, indicating air quality that is considered “unhealthy for everyone“.
Regions with an AQI over 150 on Monday afternoon included parts of Ohio, North Carolina, New Jersey, Maryland, Alabama, and Pennsylvania, according to the IQAir tracker website.
US officials say the smoke is forecast to begin to dissipate on the east coast by Tuesday, but not before intensifying in the northern state of Maine and in parts of the south including Atlanta.
BBC
