Historically intense wildfires that raged in the province of Nova Scotia on Canada’s east coast have had a severe effect on air quality as far south as Virginia and Maryland, the US National Weather Service has warned.
Four wildfires have destroyed hundreds of buildings and homes and displaced tens of thousands of people, hitting Halifax Township hardest. But the fires have also sent smoke over New York City and prompted officials in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia to report negative effects on air quality.
The Chester County Department of Health in Pennsylvania has warned that “smoke and haze from the wildfires in Canada continue to linger” and that air quality may be unhealthy for young children, older adults and people with health problems. respiratory.
Smoke and haze from the wildfires in Canada continue to linger, raising air quality concerns in Pennsylvania counties, including Chester County. The air quality may not be healthy for people such as young children, older adults, and people with respiratory problems. More here: pic.twitter.com/1vgDXQbGwo
— Chesco Health (@ChescoSalud) June 1, 2023
Earlier in the week, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, had also seen plumes of smoke from the fires that the United States’ northern neighbors were fighting.
The National Weather Service in Wakefield, Virginia, 164 miles (263 kilometers) south of Washington, issued an air quality watch for Friday in the Richmond area due to smoke from the wildfires.
St Mary’s County in Maryland also tweeted “Air quality can be [affected] by the ongoing forest fires in south-eastern Canada. Authorities urged residents to get emergency help by calling 911 if they notice smoke or the smell of smoke.
Some 16,000 Canadian residents in and around Halifax were told to leave the area for their safety. Authorities confirmed that at least half of the Halifax fires had been contained and had not escalated since Wednesday, but were still burning furiously.
Halifax Deputy Fire Chief David Meldrum said authorities had completed an inventory of damaged and destroyed properties. But authorities had not been able to immediately release information on the number of properties affected.
In nearby Shelburne, a county of 1,300 residents, residents were forced to leave the area. Among the evacuated facilities was the local Roseway hospital.
Despite a fierce defensive firefighting force consisting of water bombers and tanker planes, Great Barrington Lake was engulfed in flames that grew in size to more than 77 square miles (200 square kilometers).
Cooler temperatures and steady rain were not expected until Friday night, although the forecast called for some spotty showers throughout the day, giving officials hope that the efforts of those fighting the wildfires will pay off.
Associated Press contributed to this report