Michael S. Regan 16th Administrator, United States Environmental Protection Agency | Official Website
BOSTON (Aug. 15, 2024) – New England state air quality forecasters are predicting elevated concentrations of fine particle air pollution due to wildfires in Quebec and Western Canada. The primary concern is high concentrations of fine particle air pollution that is unhealthy, especially for sensitive groups such as people with respiratory disease, the elderly, or people with compromised health. Areas forecasted to exceed the Federal air quality standard for 24-hour particle pollution level concentrations include:
Massachusetts (Central and Western areas), New Hampshire (Carroll, Cheshire, Coos, Grafton, and Sullivan counties), and Vermont.
The EPA encourages people to check their Air Quality Index (AQI) throughout the day to be aware of their local air quality at https://www3.epa.gov/region1/airquality/aqi.html. Hazy skies, reduced visibility, and the odor of burning wood are likely as the smoke plumes are transported over the region. During times when significant smoke is present in your area, it is recommended that people with pre-existing medical conditions remain indoors with windows closed while circulating indoor air with a fan or air conditioner. For more tips, see https://www.airnow.gov/wildfires/when-smoke-is-in-the-air/.
Exposure to elevated fine particle pollution levels can affect both lungs and heart which may cause breathing problems and aggravate asthma and other pre-existing lung diseases. When particulate matter levels are elevated, people should refrain from strenuous outdoor activity, especially sensitive populations such as children and adults with respiratory problems.
Everyone can take steps to keep air emissions down during air quality advisory days. Even during periods of wildfire smoke, reducing activities that cause air emissions can help decrease pollution. Combining or skipping car trips, using public transportation, and mowing lawns after 5:00 pm can all have a positive impact on our air quality. Due to impacts from climate change, these kinds of air quality events may increase in frequency. Communities already vulnerable and overburdened will also be impacted by these kinds of events.
Stay up-to-date on current air quality and forecasts near you through the AirNow app available for free on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. You also can use the app to check the AirNow Fire and Smoke Map developed by EPA and the U.S. Forest Service to provide information on fire locations, smoke plumes, near real-time air quality data along with actions to protect health -- all in one place. The map is available at https://fire.airnow.gov or by tapping the Smoke icon in the AirNow app; it includes data from hundreds of monitors provided by state and local agencies along with crowd-sourced data from sensors.
More information:
Real-time ozone data: New England Air Quality Index
National real-time data: AirNow
Air Quality Alerts: EnviroFlashExit EPA’s website
