Air quality alerts are up for all of New York, Vermont, western Massachusetts, Connecticut and northeast Pennsylvania because of smoke from hundreds of Canadian wildfires.
New York state officials say the air is unhealthy for sensitive groups in the Hudson Valley, New York City and Long Island. The air is unhealthy for the general population in the Adirondacks, Eastern Lake Ontario region, as well as Central and Western New York. Governor Kathy Hochul says smoke is expected to linger and the statewide air quality health advisory will remain in effect through Friday.
"Every corner of New York State has unhealthy air conditions right now throughout the rest of the day and tomorrow and that is what I want to make sure all New Yorker's are aware of," Hochul said Thursday morning.
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection says air quality is unhealthy for sensitive groups in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden and Worcester counties and has issued an advisory for those counties through Friday.
Officials suggest limiting time outdoors, wearing masks and monitoring their local air quality levels via https://www.airnow.gov/.
Another team of firefighters from New York is going to Canada to help fight the fires.