Long Island weather: Hazy skies this week but Long Island spared from worst of Canadian wildfire smoke
Smoke from Canadian wildfires will impact Long Island and New York City Wednesday but not enough for the regions to be put under air quality health advisories covering parts of the rest of New York State.
Long Island has been spared the brunt of the smoke from wildfires, which have burned millions of acres of Canadian forest and sent smoke plumes across much of the Midwest and the Northeast United States, authorities said Tuesday.
"The sea breeze on Long Island is helping to clear things out," said Margaret LaFarr, state Department of Environmental Conservation Director of Air Resources, in a midday briefing state environmental and health officials gave to reporters.
The DEC forecast Wednesday air quality readings of 100 for Long Island and New York City.
The index converts all pollutant levels into a single number. The lower the number, the better. Anything below 50 is classified as "healthy." Fifty to 100 is "moderate," while 100-150 is unhealthy for "sensitive groups."
Long Island was the only region of the state with moderate air quality Tuesday. Readings reached 130 in New York City in the afternoon and in other parts of the state spiked above 150, authorities said, an unhealthy level potentially high enough to cause adverse effects for the general public and serious effects for members of sensitive groups, like young children, the elderly or people with preexisting conditions.
"We expect continued poor air quality in much of the state, at least until Thursday," said DEC commissioner Amanda Lefton at the briefing.
According to Canada's most recent National Wildland Fire Situation Report, from July 30, there were 289 fires across that country and fires had consumed more than 15 million acres of forest for the year, more than twice as much the 10-year average. Fire agencies in the provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan were at Preparedness Level 5, meaning that they were experiencing extreme fire danger, anticipated extreme fire load in the next week and did not have adequate resources to manage fires. Agencies in other provinces reported lower levels.
"There are domestic and international personnel, aircraft, and fire fighting equipment being mobilized," according to the report.
Nicholas Spangler is a general assignment reporter and has worked at Newsday since 2010.
Northwell nurses give strike notice ... Record for state flu hospitalizations ... Baby Jesus statue stolen ... Rescuers reunite with boy
Northwell nurses give strike notice ... Record for state flu hospitalizations ... Baby Jesus statue stolen ... Rescuers reunite with boy
