Haze and smoke from Canadian wildfires affecting Eastern Shore

Intense Canadian wildfires are blanketing the east coast in a dystopian haze, turning the air acrid, the sky yellowish gray and prompting warnings for vulnerable populations to stay inside as far south as the Carolinas.

The effects of hundreds of wildfires burning across the western provinces to Quebec are being felt here locally on the Eastern Shore.

U.S. authorities have issued air quality alerts in certain areas, but not locally for the Eastern Shore.

The air quality index, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency metric for air pollution, exceeded a staggering 400 at times in Syracuse, New York City and Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley. A level of 50 or under is considered good; anything over 300 is considered “hazardous,” when even healthy people are advised to curtail outdoor physical activity. The Eastern Shore’s air quality index Tuesday was approximately 130.

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

Smoke from the fires has wafted through northeast U.S. states for weeks now, but it’s only recently been noticeable in most places.

Smoke from Canada’s wildfires has been moving into the United States since last month. The most recent fires near Quebec have been burning for at least several days.

The Quebec-area fires are big and relatively close, about 500 to 600 miles (roughly 800 to 970 kilometers) away from Rhode Island. And they followed wildfires in Nova Scotia, which resulted in a short-lived air quality alert on May 30, Austin said.

Reports on the causes of the fires vary, from dry conditions to arson.

U.S. National Weather Service meteorologist Zach Taylor said the current weather pattern in the central and eastern U.S. is essentially funneling in the smoke. Some rain should help clear the air somewhat in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic this weekend or early next week, though more thorough relief will come from containing or extinguishing the fires, he said. As of Thursday morning, the National Weather Service is forecasting the haze to stick around the Shore at least through Friday.

Accuweather.com is reporting poor air quality for the Eastern Shore at least through the weekend, saying “the air has reached a high level of pollution and is unhealthy for sensitive groups. Reduce time spent outside if you are feeling symptoms such as difficulty breathing or throat irritation.”