Large parts of New York are covered in orange smoke.
The haze comes from more than a hundred forest fires currently raging in Canada – and the city’s residents are being asked to stay indoors.
– People are worried, says TV4 News’ Stina Qvarforth on the spot.
Forest fires are raging in the Canadian province of Quebec.
The smoke reached New York on Tuesday, and even then the concentration of PM2.5 particles in the air – the smallest pollutant but also the most dangerous in fire smoke – was more than 10 times above the limit set by the World Health Organization.
While at-risk groups in the population are being asked to stay indoors, at least ten schools in central New York have canceled all outdoor activities on Tuesday, writes CNN.
“Feeled in the lungs”
The yellowish, acrid smog that has drifted across the US border for over a week has now topped the list of the world’s worst air pollutants, worse than Doha, Baghdad and Lahore.
– There is a lot of smoke and when you drive you can’t see many meters ahead. It’s really crazy to look out from here, says Stina Qvarforth, from a rooftop in New York.
– The mayor says it will ease tomorrow or possibly tonight. You don’t know exactly, the fires will probably continue so we’ll see, she continues.
The city’s residents are asked to wear masks and the mood on the streets is turned up.
– Many are worried and want to get inside. It is noticeable in the lungs, says Stina Qvarforth.
Evacuations in Canada
In Montreal, Quebec’s largest city, several evacuation orders were issued on Tuesday and the same has been done in other parts of the province as firefighters worked to contain the blazes.
More than 400 wildfires have broken out across Quebec so far this year, and there are currently more than 150 active fires in the area, most of them out of control.
The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center has made the assessment that almost nine million hectares charred in the country this year as a result of the fires.