Homepage

Smoke in the Air — Canada Wildfires Cause Air Quality Alert Smoke in the Air -- Wildfires in Canada Cause NY Air Quality Alert

By Michael O'Connor

DANYELL MONK: Fires in Canada are bringing lots of problems to Syracuse. Michael O’Connor explains how the fire affects Central New York and its air quality, Michael…

MICHAEL O’CONNOR: Danyell, as you can see behind me still, it’s not as bad as it was this morning as, uh, as my interviewee mentioned earlier. I made sure that we white-balanced the camera – that is haze that you see caused by fires – wildfires – in Quebec some 500 miles north of where we are right now; but, they’re still affecting Central New York.

HARPREET DUGGAL: There’s just smoke everywhere. It’s very foggy and it still smells like a bonfire!

O’CONNOR: That’s not a filter that you see on the camera, but a haze caused by wildfires ravaging the province of Quebec over 500 miles north of Central New York. Mark Pellerito, Lead Meteorologist at the Binghamton National Weather Service Office, says the smoke has forced an air quality alert for the state of New York until at least midnight Tuesday night.

MARK PELLERITO: We’ve had our winds coming primarily out of the north lately, and so all that wildfire smoke from the dozens and dozens of wildfires is being sent our way

O’CONNOR: The National Weather Service measures air quality using tiny smoke particles in parts per million – or ppm. This morning, the East Syracuse monitor register 172 ppm, nearly three times the limit for what’s considered generally healthy and the highest recorded in the state of New York. As a result, residents like Robin McCrary can’t believe they’re wearing masks again.

ROBIN MCCRARY: Not in this context, certainly. I know that it’s been advised that people with certain conditions, you know, stay indoors – stay home.

O’CONNOR: But according to Pellerito…

PELLERITO: It doesn’t mean you can’t go outside; it’s just – you need to consider whether or not you are sensitive to those conditions such as people with asthma and other respiratory concerns.

O’CONNOR: With the air quality being so poor and this past May being the 10th driest May ever recorded in Syracuse history, Pellerito says…

PELLERITO: People should be cognizant of whether or not they should be burning items in their, you know, debris burns in their yards and such.

O’CONNOR: Now, we decided to come back to this spot to show you just how hazy it was earlier today. That yellow tint that you saw – that was real. And as Pellerito mentioned, some of the dry conditions here in Syracuse – not only did they experience it up in Quebec but here in Syracuse, it’s been one of the driest Mays ever recorded in history. Our Michael Gross is gonna have more for that coming up next but Isabel, Danyell I’ll send it back to you guys in the studio.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Syracuse has the most polluted air in the state after wildfires in Canada blew smoke streams  over Central New York.

For nearly a week,  more than 200 wildfires have burned through Quebec, forcing more than 15,000 people to evacuate.

Lead meteorologist at the Binghamton National Weather Service office Mark Pellerito says those smoke streams forced an air quality alert for the entire state.

Smoke tints the sky yellow from the hill at Thornden Park
The air quality in Syracuse showed 172 ppm, making it the most polluted in the state.
© 2023 Karl Winter

“We’ve had our winds coming primarily out of the north lately,” Pellerito said. “So all that wildfire smoke from the dozens and dozens of wildfires is being sent our way.”

The haze has gotten so bad that residents like Robin McCrary don’t need an alert to warn them about the poor air quality.

“It looks hazier than what I saw earlier this morning,” McCrary said. “I can’t actually tell where the sun is anymore.”

Gov. Kathy Hochul issued the following statement regarding the air quality alert issued throughout the state:

New York State experts are monitoring our air quality every day to ensure New Yorkers have the latest information about current air quality in their communities and what they can do to protect themselves. I encourage New Yorkers, especially those sensitive to air quality, to take appropriate steps to help limit risk of exposure.

Despite the warning, Pellerito says the effects of poor air quality aren’t the same for everyone.

“You need to consider whether or not you are sensitive to those conditions such as people with asthma and other respiratory concerns,” Pellerito said.

Still, Pellerito warns that this past May was the 10th driest recorded in Syracuse history. So while the wildfires may be 500 miles north for now, residents should remain cautious about starting any kind of fire at home.

With almost no sign of the fires stopping anytime soon, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Health has extended the air quality health advisory through at least tomorrow.

Related Articles