The contamination alert will continue until the weekend
Iscol reiterated that the environmental alert is expected to remain active “for the next few days” and warned that the presence of smoke in the air is “very difficult to foresee.”
“Yesterday, New Yorkers saw and smelled something that had never impacted us on this scale before,” said Mayor Eric Adams, referring to the fact that the pollution cloud was clearly present on Tuesday afternoon.
Likewise, with an apocalyptic tone, the mayor warned that although it is the first time something like this has happened in the city, it will not be the last.
“Climate change is accelerating these situations. We must continue to reduce emissions, improve air quality and increase resilience,” he stressed.
New York is not the only major affected in the United States by the fires; in fact, residents of more than five US states woke up in a haze, caused by smoke, which has led authorities to alert citizens to the “dangerous” air conditions and ask them to stay limit outdoor activities.
In Canada, the smoke generated by the 400 forest fires that are active in its territory sounded the alarms on Wednesday in Toronto, the largest city in the country, where air quality worsened on Tuesday night and went from moderate risk to ” high”.
With these levels, the Canadian health authorities have also recommended refraining from spending time outdoors and predict that the bad conditions will continue at least until the weekend, when the arrival of a low pressure front is expected to renew the air.