Which US cities facing severe air pollution due to Canadian wildfire?

As massive wildfires continue to ravage parts of Canada, the impact is being felt beyond its borders. Plumes of smoke and pollutants from these fires are moving south, causing severe air pollution in several US cities.

Deteriorating air quality poses significant health risks to residents and underscores the consequences range of wildfires induced by climate change.

The wildfires in Canada have released a large amount of smoke and pollutants into the atmosphere, causing dangerous air quality conditions in several cities in the US. The affected regions are mainly in the northern states, more near the Canadian border.

Cities like Seattle, Spokane, Portland, Washington DC, Philadelphia, New York and Boise have been particularly hard hit, experiencing significantly degraded air quality and reduced visibility due to smoky skies. The severity of the air pollution has prompted authorities to issue health advisories, urging residents to take precautions and stay indoors whenever possible.

New York city's severe Air pollution

According to a recent tweet from the official Twitter account of the popular musical production "Hamilton," dangerous air quality in New York City has forced several artists to cancel performances for the night. However, the show plans to resume on Thursday.

Due to severe air pollution, city officials advised residents to limit their outdoor activities on Wednesday, especially vulnerable people such as children, older people and people with pre-existing respiratory problems.

Smoke from wildfires, which contains fine particles known as PM2.5, is responsible for health problems like asthma and bronchitis. Currently, the PM2.5 concentration in New York City is 15 times higher than the World Health Organization's annual air quality reference value.

Wildfires in the Canadian province of Quebec are causing widespread devastation. The impact is not limited to New York City; other cities like Detroit and Toronto are also experiencing a significant decline in air quality. The scale of the wildfires is immense, prompting the temporary evacuation of more than 120,000 people according to Canadian officials.

The Canadian Interagency Fire Center's tracker indicates a total of 418 active fires across Canada, of which 245 are uncontrolled. As smoke from these fires spreads, the southern and western parts of the United States, including Georgia, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas, and Illinois, are also feeling the effects.

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