In the United States, forest fires in Canada provide an ominous picture. The entire city reeks like smoke, and everyone puts on their masks once more.
The devastating forest fires in Canada have impacted many locations in the United States, creating frightening images, particularly in New York. On Wednesday, the American city was shrouded in an orange-grey fog, and the smell of smoke in the air reminded people of campfires. The vista was compared to Mars by several New Yorkers.
When compared to Tuesday, when the fires in the neighboring countries to the north were first noticed, the air quality has once again deteriorated considerably. In the afternoon, the "Air Quality Index" ranged from zero to 500, with some readings exceeding 400. Values more than 100 are already regarded to be of concern for the health of sensitive persons, while values greater than 300 are considered to constitute a risk for the general community.
On Wednesday, New York topped a global ranking of cities with the worst air quality, well ahead of other major cities infamous for bad air quality, such as New Delhi.
Pollution levels in New York fell again in the early evening, but remained in the uppermost danger zone.
According to New York City Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan, the city's air quality is the worst it has been since the 1960s. Mayor Eric Adams recommended residents to restrict their outside activities to the greatest extent feasible. "This is not the day to start training for a marathon." The street scene brought up memories of the Corona outbreak, and many individuals donned masks once more. Kathy Hochul, the governor of New York, has vowed to make 1 million masks available. She described the dirty air as a regional "emergency" that might last many days.
The Canadian smoke slowed down public life. Due to limited visibility, flights were sometimes denied landing at LaGuardia Airport. Flights to and from all New York airports have been limited, according to the FAA, with an average wait of over two hours at LaGuardia.
During breaks, students remained indoors. The scheduled New York Yankees baseball game on Wednesday night has been canceled. The zoos and libraries in the city were closed earlier than normal. Theatrical performances were also canceled, including the popular "Hamilton" show. A Broadway show's afternoon performance was canceled minutes after it began because the leading actress reported she was having problems breathing owing to poor air quality.