Closing Summary
It is nearly 6pm in New York City where the skies have been shrouded in a thick layer of yellow smokey haze all day. As we wrap up the blog, here is a look at the day’s key events:
Tonight’s baseball game between the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox has been postponed due to the poor air quality across New York City.
The air quality health advisory notice in New York has been extended until 11:59pm Thursday.Mayor Eric Adams announced the extension on Wednesday, saying: “We’re in the worst of the conditions but the Air Quality Health Advisory has been extended until 11:59 pm Thursday — which our teams have been anticipating.”
UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres tweeted a photo of his office view in New York City on Wednesday which depicted the skies outside being shrouded in a grayish-smoke. “With global temperatures on the rise, the need to urgently reduce wildfire risk is critical,” Guterres tweeted.
A football match between the New Jersey-New York Gotham and Orlando Pride at the Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey has been postponed. In a statement posted on Instagram, the National Women’s Soccer League wrote: “Due to poor air quality conditions in the New York metropolitan area, tonight’s match between NJ/NY Gotham FC and the Orlando Pride at Red Bull Arena has been postponed.”
English actress Jodie Comer stopped the matinee show of Broadway’s Prima Facie on Wednesday as a result of poor air quality. Deadline reports that the show began 10 minutes late, followed by Comer announcing that she was no longer able to continue the performance as she was not able to breathe properly.
Hundreds of firefighters are currently fighting forest wildfires in Canada with more to join from the Canadian army, according to Quebec premier Francois Legault. With hundreds of wildfires spreading across multiple regions in Canada, Quebec is currently one of the worst affected regions. According to Reuters, Canada’s second-most populous province has experienced four times its 10-year average of wildfires this year alone.
New York’s LaGuardia airport lifted a temporary hold on flights early on Wednesday afternoon, after grounding jets because of the low visibility a few hours earlier. Even though skies did not seem to be clearing over the city, the Federal Aviation Authority, with smoke and haze currently shrouding multiple states, a so-called “ground stop” at the airport was lifted.
With New York City being ranked briefly this morning as the city with the world’s worst air pollution, mayor Eric Adams warned that climate change has accelerated the conditions surrounding the smokey haze that has shrouded the city. “While this may be the first time we’ve experienced something like this on this magnitude...it is not the last. Climate change accelerated these conditions,” he said.
On Wednesday, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau praised the “extreme modesty of heroes” as fire crews across the country grappled with more than 400 blazes, 239 of which are considered out of control. “Firefighters are stepping up first responders are stepping up in harrowing situations to save their fellow citizens,” said Trudeau. “I think we all need to be taking time to recognize the first responders in our communities.”
Tens of millions of Americans are currently under air quality alerts as smoke from wildfires spreading through Canada drift southward across east coast states. Multiple states across the east coast including New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut have issued air quality alerts. The alerts come as a result of smoke from hundreds of wildfires that have been burning in Canada as early as May.
That’s it for today as we close down the blog. Thank you for following along.
Tonight’s baseball game between the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox has been postponed due to the poor air quality across New York City.
#Yankees Game postponed tonight versus the White Sox due to poor air quality. Doubleheader tomorrow at 4 pm and 7 pm! @yankeestadium
— Bruce Beck (@BruceBeck4NY) June 7, 2023
For more details on other games being postponed across the country, click here:
Updated
The air quality health advisory notice in New York has been extended until 11:59pm Thursday.
Mayor Eric Adams announced the extension on Wednesday, saying:
“We’re in the worst of the conditions but the Air Quality Health Advisory has been extended until 11:59 pm Thursday — which our teams have been anticipating.
Mask up and limit your outdoor activities.”
We're in the worst of the conditions, but the Air Quality Health Advisory has been extended until 11:59 pm Thursday — which our teams have been anticipating.
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) June 7, 2023
Mask up and limit your outdoor activities.
See real-time air quality: https://t.co/Ok9k6nidUG pic.twitter.com/EfceKRUu6Y
UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres tweeted a photo of his office view in New York City on Wednesday which depicted the skies outside being shrouded in a grayish-smoke.
“At our @UN Headquarters in New York, we can feel the deteriorating air quality as smoke from the wildfires in Canada moves south. With global temperatures on the rise, the need to urgently reduce wildfire risk is critical,” Guterres tweeted.
He went on to add, “We must make peace with nature. We cannot give up.”
At our @UN Headquarters in New York, we can feel the deteriorating air quality as smoke from the wildfires in Canada moves south.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) June 7, 2023
With global temperatures on the rise, the need to urgently reduce wildfire risk is critical.
We must make peace with nature. We cannot give up. pic.twitter.com/pm8HkNBwRN
Video emerged online of George Washington Bridge which connects New Jersey and New York City being shrouded in in a yellowish hazy smoke.
BREAKING: Footage of the George Washington Bridge that connects New Jersey and New York City amid smoke from Canada wildfires.pic.twitter.com/d3FhjdRy6W
— The Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) June 7, 2023
worst air quality. pic.twitter.com/lYMbExYpQE
— Worldupdates ( Breaking ) (@itswpceo) June 7, 2023
Dharna Noor, the Guardian’s fossil fuels and climate reporter, has created an explainer on ways to keep safe as wildfire smoke shroud the east coast:
Exposure to smoke can trigger an array of health problems, experts say, but there are ways residents can keep themselves safe.
Staying inside and especially refraining from strenuous outdoor activity is an important way to limit exposure, said Laura Kate Bender, the national assistant vice-president of the healthy air program at the American Lung Association.
If one must go outside, experts suggest wearing a mask – preferably an N95 or equivalent.
Keeping indoor air clean by closing windows and doors is also helpful, as is turning on air purification devices when possible. (The Environmental Protection Agency does not certify air purifiers, but California regulators recommend these models.)
Wildfire smoke is made up of a cocktail of irritants, including gaseous pollutants like carbon monoxide and hazardous air pollutants like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Most concerning, it can include pollution particles known as fine particulate matter or PM2.5, which are so tiny that they can enter the bloodstream when breathed in.
For further details, click here:
Irania Sanchez, 53, was gasping for breath during her walk in the New York City borough of Queens on Wednesday morning. The air was thick and smelled of the smoke that had descended over the metropolis and a swath of the US.
She was on her way to visit a friend who recently had surgery but then wanted to go on a walk with Sanchez.
“I said don’t go out, it’s too dangerous for you,” Sanchez told the Guardian, supporting herself on her walking stick.
As a cleaning truck went by, sweeping dust into the air, Sanchez gasped and moved away. “It’s too much, it’s too much,” she said.
The whole city is immersed in a dystopian-looking smog: urban streets in sepia, emptier than usual, bathed in an eerie quiet. More were seen wearing face masks than usual these days, reminiscent of earlier days of the Covid-19 pandemic – and the feeling of potential doom the virus had induced.
Across the river, in midtown Manhattan, which is usually filled with tourists at this time of the year enjoying the spring weather, there were suddenly fewer people and cars and more surgical masks than usual.
For the full story on how New Yorkers are faring amid the smog crisis, click here:
A football match between the New Jersey-New York Gotham and Orlando Pride at the Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey has been postponed.
In a statement posted on Instagram, the National Women’s Soccer League wrote:
“Due to poor air quality conditions in the New York metropolitan area, tonight’s match between NJ/NY Gotham FC and the Orlando Pride at Red Bull Arena has been postponed…
The safety of our players, officials and fans is our top priority. Following consultation with the NWSL Medical and Operations staff, it was determined that the match could not be safely conducted based on the projected air quality index.”
The match has been rescheduled to August 9 at 7:30pm.
Updated
English actress Jodie Comer stopped the matinee show of Broadway’s Prima Facie on Wednesday as a result of poor air quality.
Deadline reports that the show began 10 minutes late, followed by Comer announcing that she was no longer able to continue the performance as she was not able to breathe properly.
According to the outlet, after the curtain lowered, an announcement asked attendees to remain seated until a decision was made as to cancel the afternoon show or continue with an understudy.
Variety has reported an update as of 3:16pm, saying that the show has continued with an understudy.
For full details, click here:
@Telecharge #PrimaFacie We came to see Jodie Comer. She started show. Had to stop for air quality. Now want us to see understudy. What is refund policy? Exchange? We came and paid high price to see Jodie
— MARK (@spiv13) June 7, 2023
Smoke event in NYC ‘off the charts’
Another expert, Marshall Burke, associate professor of earth system science at Stanford University, has tweeted a chart putting into context how the current smoke event is bigger in scale than anything else in the last two decades in the city.
Current wildfire smoke event in NYC is off the charts relative to anything in past two decades. Here's a chart showing daily PM2.5 from smoke back to 2006 versus today, averaged over pollution monitors in NYC. Last two days are remarkable. pic.twitter.com/28qkRC24gF
— Marshall Burke (@MarshallBBurke) June 7, 2023
Updated
Interim summary
It is slightly past 3:15pm in New York where the yellow skies are still shrouded in a smokey haze. Here is where things currently stand:
Hundreds of firefighters are currently fighting forest wildfires in Canada with more to join from the Canadian army, according to Quebec premier Francois Legault. With hundreds of wildfires spreading across multiple regions in Canada, Quebec is currently one of the worst affected regions. According to Reuters, Canada’s second-most populous province has experienced four times its 10-year average of wildfires this year alone.
New York’s LaGuardia airport lifted a temporary hold on flights early on Wednesday afternoon, after grounding jets because of the low visibility a few hours earlier. Even though skies did not seem to be clearing over the city, the Federal Aviation Authority, with smoke and haze currently shrouding multiple states, a so-called “ground stop” at the airport was lifted.
With New York City being ranked briefly this morning as the city with the world’s worst air pollution, mayor Eric Adams warned that climate change has accelerated the conditions surrounding the smokey haze that has shrouded the city. “While this may be the first time we’ve experienced something like this on this magnitude...it is not the last. Climate change accelerated these conditions,” he said.
On Wednesday, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau praised the “extreme modesty of heroes” as fire crews across the country grappled with more than 400 blazes, 239 of which are considered out of control. “Firefighters are stepping up first responders are stepping up in harrowing situations to save their fellow citizens,” said Trudeau. “I think we all need to be taking time to recognize the first responders in our communities.”
Tens of millions of Americans are currently under air quality alerts as smoke from wildfires spreading through Canada drift southward across east coast states. Multiple states across the east coast including New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut have issued air quality alerts. The alerts come as a result of smoke from hundreds of wildfires that have been burning in Canada as early as May.
Updated
Climate crisis has already exacerbated wildfires dramatically, research shows
A 2021 study supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association found that climate change has been the main driver of the increase in hot, dry fire weather in the western US.
By 2090, global wildfires are expected to increase in intensity by up to 57% thanks to climate change, a United Nations report warned last year.
Canada is on track to experience its most severe wildfire season on record, national officials said this week. It’s part of a trend experts say will intensify as climate change makes hotter, drier weather and longer fire seasons more common.
More than 400 blazes were burning across Canada on Wednesday, following an unprecedentedly intense beginning to the fire season. Hot and dry conditions are expected to persist through to the end of the season.
“The ongoing wildfires remind us that carbon pollution carries a cost on our society, as it accelerates climate change,” Steven Guilbeault, Canada’s minister of environment and climate change, tweeted on Wednesday.
Can you believe today is #CleanAirDay in Canada? Wildfires are exacerbated by climate change, and the smoke hazing over major parts of Canada & the US is worsening the #AirQuality and a reminder that the #ClimateEmergency is also a public health crisis. https://t.co/SJgPTqN4c3
— Greenpeace Canada (@GreenpeaceCA) June 7, 2023
Some US leaders have also been making that link.
Between NYC in wildfire smoke and this in PR, it bears repeating how unprepared we are for the climate crisis.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 7, 2023
We must adapt our food systems, energy grids, infrastructure, healthcare, etc ASAP to prepare for what’s to come and catch up to what is already here. #GreenNewDeal 🌱 https://t.co/GT7hY4Ffm3
Right now, 98 MILLION people on the East Coast are under air quality alerts from Canadian fires and, last night, NYC had the worst air quality in the world. Climate change makes wildfires more frequent and widespread. If we do nothing, this is our new reality. It's time to act.
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) June 7, 2023
Health officials in Boston warned on Wednesday morning that the air quality in the city is currently “unhealthy” for a handful of groups.
Those groups include people with heart or lung disease, asthma, older adults, children, teenagers and people who are active outdoors.
Health officials also warned that those with asthma should stay indoors to avoid triggering attack.
Individuals with asthma should stay indoors and shut the windows to avoid triggering an attack. Individuals with heart or lung disease are at the greatest risk for complications due to smoke exposure, and should similarly limit time outside and keep windows closed. (2/3)
— Boston Public Health (@HealthyBoston) June 7, 2023
NBC10 Boston has published a handful of photos showing the city shrouded in haze:
Photos from this morning & this evening show a smoky haze over #Boston that is being caused by wildfires in Quebec. The haze dramatically accentuates the color of the sun. It has also caused an air quality alert, explained here —> https://t.co/U9tcecXbQ1 📸@pictureboston pic.twitter.com/pg3t8XgxtN
— NBC10 Boston (@NBC10Boston) June 7, 2023
Additional firefighters from Canadian army to help fight Canada's wildfires
Hundreds of firefighters are currently fighting forest wildfires in Canada with more to join from the Canadian army, according to Quebec premier Francois Legault.
With hundreds of wildfires spreading across multiple regions in Canada, Quebec is currently one of the worst affected regions. According to Reuters, Canada’s second-most populous province has experienced four times its 10-year average of wildfires this year alone.
“Right now, with the manpower we have, we can fight about 40 fires at the same time. But we have 150 fires so we have to make sure that we focus where the problems are the more urgent,” Legault said, Reuters reports.
Currently, 520 firefighters are fighting the fires and an additional 150 are set to join from the Canadian army. Legault said he hoped an additional 500 firefighters would arrive in the coming days from the New Brunswick province, as well as from France, the United States, Portugal, Spain, and Mexico.
Flights get going again at New York's LaGuardia Airport
New York’s LaGuardia airport lifted a temporary hold on flights early on Wednesday afternoon, after grounding jets because of the low visibility a few hours earlier.
Even though skies did not seem to be clearing over the city, the Federal Aviation Authority, with smoke and haze currently shrouding multiple states, a so-called “ground stop” at the airport was lifted.
Earlier the FAA had warned that the stop “could impact travel through the airports” as flights out of LaGuardia airport were grounded and flights were slowed into and out of Newark Airport in New Jersey.
In a video released on Twitter, the FAA’s national traffic management officer said, “Today we’re dealing with some smoke and haze in the northeast.”
He went on to add, “There are some fires in Canada that have been producing some smoke, due to the wind patterns it is now impacting the northeast of the U.S. so from Boston, the NY metro area, Philadelphia and the DC metro area — are all experiencing some smoke that could impact travel through the airports.”
New York mayor on smoky haze: 'Climate change accelerated these conditions'
With New York City being ranked briefly this morning as the city with the world’s worst air pollution, mayor Eric Adams warned that climate change has accelerated the conditions surrounding the smokey haze that has shrouded the city.
“While this may be the first time we’ve experienced something like this on this magnitude...it is not the last. Climate change accelerated these conditions.”
Adams went on to urge for more action towards addressing climate change issues, saying:
“New York City is clearly a national leader on public health and climate action and these dangerous air quality conditions are clearly an urgent reminder that we must act now to protect our city, our environment and the future of our children.”
Vermont senator Bernie Sanders and echoed similar sentiments towards climate change on Wednesday, tweeting:
“Right now, 98 MILLION people on the East Coast are under air quality alerts from Canadian fires and, last night, NYC had the worst air quality in the world. Climate change makes wildfires more frequent and widespread. If we do nothing, this is our new reality. It’s time to act.”
Right now, 98 MILLION people on the East Coast are under air quality alerts from Canadian fires and, last night, NYC had the worst air quality in the world. Climate change makes wildfires more frequent and widespread. If we do nothing, this is our new reality. It's time to act.
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) June 7, 2023
Meanwhile, during a press briefing this afternoon, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that “climate change [is] a top priority” as tens of millions of Americans remain under air quality alerts.
Updated
Here are images coming out of Canada as the country grapples with hundreds of wildfires currently burning across multiple provinces including Nova Scotia, Quebec and Ontario:
Trudeau praises fire crews fighting more than 400 blazes in Canada
On Wednesday, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau praised the “extreme modesty of heroes” as fire crews across the country grappled with more than 400 blazes, 239 of which are considered out of control.
“Firefighters are stepping up first responders are stepping up in harrowing situations to save their fellow citizens,” said Trudeau. “I think we all need to be taking time to recognize the first responders in our communities.”
Trudeau acknowledged air quality warnings across the country that have called for vulnerable people to remain indoors. Outdoor school events have been canceled and in eastern Canadian cities, students have been kept inside.
More than 100 firefighters are set to arrive from France on Thursday to assist crews in Quebec. Already, there are nearly 1,000 international firefighters helping Canadian crews, coming from the US, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. “It’s all hands on deck,” said public safety minister Bill Blair.
Already, 2,293 wildfires have burned in Canada this season, torching approximately 3.8 million hectares of land, well above the 10-year average of 1,624 fires and 254,429 hectares burned.
An estimated 20,180 people remain evacuated from their homes and communities.
Updated
Over 200 “out of control” fires are currently burning across Canada as experts warn that air quality will continue to deteriorate.
Leyland Cecco reports from Toronto:
Toronto has long been known as “the Big Smoke” for its history of heavy industry, but the nickname took on a different meaning on Wednesday when residents donned masks outside, following alerts from officials that the city’s air quality would continue to deteriorate.
Outdoor school events were delayed and city officials warned vulnerable groups to remain inside when possible. In the nation’s capital of Ottawa, Environment Canada said the air quality was “very high risk”, alongside the nearby cities of Kingston, Cornwall and Belleville.
In much of southern Ontario, the poor air quality is expected to persist into the weekend.
The bulk of the smoke in eastern Canada is coming from the province of Quebec, where crews are contending with more than 150 fires, many of which are considered “out of control”.
For more details, click here:
My colleague Adam Gabbatt has the full report on how smoke from Canada’s wildfires is having an impact on air quality in the US.
He writes:
Tens of millions of people in the US were under air quality alerts on Wednesday, as smoke from Canadian wildfires drifted south, turning the sky in some of the country’s biggest cities a murky brown and saturating the air with harmful pollution.
States across the east, including New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut, issued air quality alerts, with officials recommending that people limit outdoor activity.
In New York City, where conditions were expected to deteriorate further through the day, residents were urged to limit their time outdoors, as public schools canceled outdoor activities.
Smoke from wildfires in Canada has been moving south into the US since May. Hundreds of fires are burning in Canada, from the western provinces to Nova Scotia and Quebec in the east, where there are more than 150 active fires in a particularly fierce start to the summer season.
Video has emerged online of a hazy Yankee Stadium in the Bronx shrouded in smoke as fans watched a baseball game between the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday.
A smoke-shrouded field as the New York @Yankees hosted the Chicago @whitesox yesterday.
— Weather Underground (@wunderground) June 7, 2023
Today on @wunderground - detailing how long the dangerous air quality will last & how smoke may impact home runs⚾️. @mikebettes @TWCAlexWilson @DrRickKnabb pic.twitter.com/lUiokp9P9O
Mayor Eric Adams has issued an air quality health advisory for all five boroughs.
An air quality alert has been issued for Wednesday and Thursday across southeast Michigan, including Detroit.
The alert covers areas including Wayne, Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw, Livingston, St. Clair, Lapeer, Monroe, Lenawee, Genesee and Sanilac counties, ClickOnDetroit reports.
Earlier this morning, Detroit ranked 10th in the world for poor quality, according to IQAir.
Hundreds of wildfires are burning in Canada, from the western provinces to Nova Scotia and Quebec in the east, where there are more than 150 active fires in a particularly fierce start to the summer season.
As the country grapples with the unprecedented threat, smoke moved into parts of north-east US, where tens of millions of people were under air quality alerts on Wednesday and told to limit outdoor activity.
We’d like to hear from our readers on how you are coping, both in Canada and the US. People living in Canada, how have you been affected? Those living in the US, how are you dealing with the air quality and hazy skies?
Here is a look at some images across the country as millions of Americans remain under air quality advisory alerts:
Philadelphia health officials have announced that the city is currently under a Code Red Fine Particles Action Day Alert.
“This means that the air is unhealthy to breathe. Air quality may vary throughout the city & throughout the day, with some areas having significantly worse quality depending on the prevailing winds,” said Philadelphia Public Health.
It went on to urge residents to “strongly consider cancelling outdoor events and gatherings” and to wear a “high quality mask” such as an N-95 or KN-95 if possible.
It also urged residents to close all windows and doors to minimize air population and to recirculate the air in homes via fans to “avoid bringing more air pollution” into homes.
Concerning symptoms to look out for include difficulty breathing, nausea, and dizziness.
Philadelphia is currently under a Code Red Fine Particles Action Day Alert. This means that the air is unhealthy to breathe. Air quality may vary throughout the city & throughout the day, with some areas having significantly worse quality depending on the prevailing winds. (1/7) pic.twitter.com/bB9EBMmCkO
— Philadelphia Public Health (@PHLPublicHealth) June 7, 2023
Despite June 7 being Global Running Day, numerous running events across New York City have been cancelled as a result of poor air quality.
On Wednesday, the New York Road Runners cancelled its Global Running Day events, the New York Times reports.
In a post on Twitter, the group wrote, “June 7 is Global Running Day, but if you’re in NYC or any affected area, please read and follow your city’s health advisory regarding air quality, and consider running another day.”
June 7 is Global Running Day, but if you're in NYC or any affected area, please read and follow your city's health advisory regarding air quality, and consider running another day. pic.twitter.com/YPYfgr284b
— New York Road Runners (@nyrr) June 6, 2023
Meanwhile, New York City’s Prospect Park Track Club announced on Wednesday that a 5k run it was supposed to host tonight at Prospect Park in Brooklyn has been cancelled.
Tens of millions under air quality alerts as Canada's wildfire smoke spreads across US
Tens of millions of Americans are currently under air quality alerts as smoke from wildfires spreading through Canada drift southward across east coast states.
Multiple states across the east coast including New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut have issued air quality alerts. The alerts come as a result of smoke from hundreds of wildfires that have been burning in Canada as early as May.
At one point on Wednesday morning, New York City had the second worst air quality in the world, coming in right under Delhi, India.
Mayor Eric Adams has urged residents to limit outdoor activity and warned those with pre-existing respiratory problems to stay indoors at this time.
Speaking to the Associated Press, David Hill, a pulmonologist in Waterbury, Connecticut, and a member of the American Lung Association’s national board of directors, said:
“We have defenses in our upper airway to trap larger particles and prevent them from getting down into the lungs. These are sort of the right size to get past those defenses… When those particles get down into the respiratory space, they cause the body to have an inflammatory reaction to them.”
For more details, click here:
Millions of Americans under air quality alerts as a result of Canadian wildfires
Tens of millions of Americans are currently under air quality alerts as smoke from wildfires currently spreading through Canada drift southward across east coast states.
As of Tuesday, the US Environmental Protection Agency has issued poor air-quality alerts for New England, parts of Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota, the Associated Press reports.
Since May, smoke from Canadian wildfires has been moving over to the US. The most recent fires near Quebec have been burning for at least several days, according to the Associated Press.
In New York City, health officials have urged residents to limit outdoor activities and stay indoors for as much as possible, with mayor Eric Adams saying that the air quality alert is an “unprecedented event in our city and New Yorkers must take precaution.”
“Those with pre-existing respiratory problems, like heart or breathing problems, as well as children and older adults, may be especially sensitive and should stay indoors at this time,” Adams added.
As of Wednesday morning, New York City’s air quality rating is currently the fifth worst in the world, with Delhi taking the lead as first, according to IQAir air quality index.
Stay tuned as we bring you the latest updates.
