Air Quality Alert Issued for Upstate New York Due to Canadian Wildfire Smoke

Residents of Niagara County and other parts of Western New York are under an Air Quality Health Advisory until midnight as smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to affect the region.

The alert was announced by State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Amanda Lefton and State Department of Health (DOH) Commissioner Dr. James McDonald. The two agencies warned of potential visible smoke, hazy skies, and temporary increases in pollution related to wildfire smoke.

In addition to Western New York, the advisory covers several other regions including Eastern Lake Ontario, Cayuga, Jefferson, Monroe, Oswego, and Wayne counties, as well as the Adirondack region which includes Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, northern Herkimer, Lewis, St. Lawrence, and Warren counties.

Air Quality Health Advisories are issued when DEC meteorologists forecast that pollution levels, such as ozone or fine particulate matter (PM 2.5), are expected to exceed an Air Quality Index (AQI) value of 100.

The AQI system provides a unified scale for various pollutants with higher values representing greater health risks.

PM 2.5 refers to fine particulate matter measuring 2.5 microns or less in diameter. These particles can consist of various materials and typically originate from combustion processes such as vehicle exhaust, power plants, wildfires, and atmospheric chemical reactions.

Health officials caution that exposure to PM 2.5 can result in short-term health issues including eye, nose, and throat irritation, coughing, sneezing, a runny nose, and shortness of breath.

Those with existing respiratory or cardiovascular conditions, along with children and the elderly, may be especially vulnerable. Elevated exposure can worsen asthma and heart disease symptoms.

To reduce exposure, officials recommend limiting time outdoors when air quality is poor. However, they note that indoor air may not be significantly cleaner if there are sources of PM 2.5 inside the home such as tobacco smoke, candles, incense, or cooking fumes.

More information on air quality, ozone, and PM 2.5 can be found on the DEC and DOH websites.

Air Quality Alert Issued for Upstate New York Due to Canadian Wildfire Smoke