Canadian wildfires: D.C. air quality worsens to ‘hazardous’ on Thursday

A cyclist rides under a blanket of haze partially obscuring the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on June 8, 2023. Smoke from Canadian wildfires have shrouded the US East Coast in a record-breaking smog, forcing cities to issue air pollution warnings and thousands of Canadians to evacuate their homes. The devastating fires have displaced more than 20,000 people and scorched about 3.8 million hectares (9,390,005 acres) of land. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described this wildfire season as the country’s worst ever. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

OAN’s Brooke Mallory
11:35 PM – Thursday, June 8, 2023

Americans are at greater risk on Thursday as a result of the poorest air quality in the Washington, D.C., area in at least two decades.

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There are additionally millions of people in the U.S. in differing areas that are currently experiencing consistent air quality alerts due to the Canadian wildfires, so if one is feeling the effects in their nose, throat, or sinuses, then they are not alone.

As a result of the smoke from the wildfires that has been drifting into the northeastern United States since Wednesday, the Washington, D.C., area has now been rated as having some of the most dangerous air quality in the country, as well as New York and New Jersey.

According to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG), the air quality in the Washington, D.C. area reportedly dropped to “code maroon,” which is extremely hazardous, by Thursday morning.

At around 8 a.m., the Air Quality Index was ‘313’, and anything above 300 falls into the code maroon range.

“Everyone should stay indoors and reduce activity levels,” the federal government’s AirNew website said.

A general “code purple” alert is also expected to come later on Thursday, according to AirNow. Since code purple is still “very unhealthy” for everyone, local residents are being warned to limit their outside exposure and not partake in strenuous outdoor activities. Outdoor physical exercise should especially be avoided by vulnerable people.

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