The past few days have seen an orange haze spread across the United States, stretching from Massachusetts to South Carolina and as far west as Missouri. The haze is the result of the worst wildfire season ever recorded in Canada and it is forcing millions to wear masks or stay inside.
Air quality in several US cities, including Philadelphia and Baltimore, has reached hazardous levels, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The poor air quality has disrupted air travel, with inbound flights to New York’s LaGuardia Airport grounded for a second day due to visibility issues, and the Federal Aviation Administration warning that flights could be halted at JFK, Newark, and Teterboro.
The smoky weather is expected to persist until Monday or Tuesday before a change in the weather patterns will start to break up the smoke. Although the haze covers most of North America, the only long-term solution is for the fires in Canada to be contained.
The situation has led to dystopian scenes in cities that are not accustomed to this kind of pollution. While historic wildfires in Northern California have caused similar issues, fires in Canada are currently the most severe in the world, with more than 400 forest fires currently active and many of them out of control. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has blamed climate change for worsening the situation, and hundreds of US firefighters are currently helping to fight the blazes.
As officials across the region urge residents to stay inside, New York State is distributing a million N95 masks to people in affected areas. In the longer term, the only hope for relief lies in bringing the wildfires under control.