La Guardia delays flights due to low visibility caused by wildfire smokeHello and welcome to our live blog focusing on the wildfires ravaging Canada and the impact smoke from those blazes is having across the northern US.
Forest fires continued to burn across Canada on Thursday as the country endured its worst-ever start to wildfire season, forcing thousands of people from their homes.
In New York, authorities temporarily halted flights from the north-east, Ohio and Mid-Atlantic bound for LaGuardia Airport.
The FAA said on Thursday wildfire smoke from Canada was reducing visibility and impacting US flights.
The agency said it would likely need to take further steps to address traffic into New York City, Washington, Philadelphia and Charlotte, North Carolina.
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Dharna Noor
Canada’s ongoing wildfire season is a harbinger of our climate future, experts and officials say.
The fires are a “really clear sign of climate change”, said Mohammadreza Alizadeh, a researcher at McGill University in Montreal, who is also a postdoctoral associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Research shows that climate change has already exacerbated wildfires dramatically. 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.
On air quality maps, purple signifies the worst of it. In reality, it’s a thick, hazardous haze that’s disrupting daily life for millions of people across the US and Canada, blotting out skylines and turning skies orange, the AP writes.
Here’s more:
The smoky blanket billowing from wildfires in Quebec and Nova Scotia and sending plumes of fine particulate matter as far away as North Carolina and northern Europe. With the weather not expected to shift, this could persist into Thursday and possibly the weekend.
That means at least another day, or more, of a dystopian-style detour that’s chased players from ballfields, actors from Broadway stages, delayed thousands of flights and sparked a resurgence in mask wearing and remote work — all while raising concerns about the health effects of prolonged exposure to such bad air.
We have been asking Guardian readers to tell how they are dealing with the fires in Canada and the ensuing smoke.
Phil Clark, who lives in Barrie, Ontario, wrote in to tell us what the situation was like where he is.
On Wednesday, he wrote: “For the last three days we’ve had a haze (note that these fires are over a thousand kilometres away). Today is the worst day. Though there’s no cloud, the sun is not at all bright.”
FAA pauses flights to Philadelphia airportThe FAA has now also paused flights from the north-east, mid-Atlantic and Ohio going to Philadelphia airport.
The agency cited low visibility for the delay in air traffic.
A video of the George Washington Bridge connecting New Jersey and New York City this morning gives an idea of how low visibility really is.
Air quality alerts across US and Canada continueMillions of people across North America woke up to orange skies and smoky air as air quality alerts continued across the US and Canada.
People were urged to mask up to protect their lungs from breathing in too much polluted air.
New York governor Kathy Hochul tweeted that from Thursday 1m N95 masks would be made available at state facilities.
Tomorrow morning, one million N95 masks will be made available at state facilities.
400,000 will be distributed to New Yorkers at @MTA stations, @PABusTerminal, @NYStateParks & @Javitscenter.
600,000 will be available from @NYSDHSES stockpiles for local governments to pick up.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) June 7, 2023 She also urged people living in the state to remain indoors:
New Yorkers: The best way to stay safe right now is to stay indoors.
We highly recommend outdoor activities be postponed or cancelled as we wait for safer air quality conditions.
If you must be outside for significant periods, wear a high-quality mask to reduce exposure.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) June 7, 2023 Hundreds of uncontrolled forest fires have spread across Canada, threatening critical infrastructure and forcing evacuations.
Wildfires are common in the country’s western provinces, but this year flames have rapidly spread towards the east. About 3.8m hectares (9.4m acres) have already burned, according to government ministers.
The wildfires have created a blanket of smoke that has spread across several US cities, including New York, forcing residents to stay indoors.
Canada: wildfires rage across British Columbia – videoLa Guardia delays flights due to low visibility caused by wildfire smokeHello and welcome to our live blog focusing on the wildfires ravaging Canada and the impact smoke from those blazes is having across the northern US.
Forest fires continued to burn across Canada on Thursday as the country endured its worst-ever start to wildfire season, forcing thousands of people from their homes.
In New York, authorities temporarily halted flights from the north-east, Ohio and Mid-Atlantic bound for LaGuardia Airport.
The FAA said on Thursday wildfire smoke from Canada was reducing visibility and impacting US flights.
The agency said it would likely need to take further steps to address traffic into New York City, Washington, Philadelphia and Charlotte, North Carolina.