On Tuesday, June 6, health alerts were issued in the United States from New York to the Carolinas, urging residents to stay indoors and keep windows closed due to dangerous levels of smoke in the air. The smoke comes from Canada, where wildfires have ravaged over 11 million acres of land and displaced over 120 thousand Canadians as of June 12th. Over 80 percent of Canada is wooded and sparsely populated, making it a prime area for wildfires.
While some “video evidence” has suggested that the Canadian government intentionally lit these wildfires, the fires were most definitely caused by lighting and the changing climate: the temperatures have increased and precipitation has decreased. This combination has dried out the massive amount of dead plants that lay on forest floors, which serve as the primary source of fuel in most wildfires. Due to the unprecedented temperatures and lack of precipitation in the country, Canada has experienced 2,200 wildfires so far this year and is likely to experience an “especially severe wildfire season throughout the summer,” according to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The wide-ranging fires have created massive amounts of smoke, which has been carried through wind currents into the Northeast United States, creating international panic. Just last week, New York City, for one, had the “worst air quality in the world” (IQAir) on Tuesday night, reaching a Code Red air quality alert, and a peak AQI of 484. Leaving one’s residence was highly advised against due to serious health concerns, even for residents with no pre-existing lung or heart condition.
You may be wondering what exactly AQI is, and what risks are posed by high AQI levels. AQI stands for air quality index and is a scale used to measure the quality of air geographically. AQI is largely split into several categories which are demarcated by color. The categories are illustrated below.
Typically, the AQI in the northeastern United States is below 50 (which is considered very healthy) but climbed past 400 in some areas due to the “hazardous” smoke released by the Canadian wildfires However, most Americans are unfamiliar with the AQI scale, and the numerical level of air quality may mean close to nothing for them. But what do 300+ AQI levels actually mean for human health? Levels similar to those recorded in NYC this past week can lead to respiratory diseases, coughing, and burning sensations in the eyes. High AQI levels also signify pollution in the air, leading to inflammation of the lung tissue and increasing one’s susceptibility to respiratory infections. Additionally, those under the age of 5 and above the age of 45 are considered risk groups and should take the poor air quality alerts especially seriously.
Luckily, as seen by the lack of orange tint outside our windows today, the poor air quality has seemingly been rectified for the moment. Wildfires similar to the ones that occurred in Canada, however, are not unique, nor will these be the last in Canada. With the intensification of the climate crisis, as found through numerous studies and verified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, wildfire season has been consistently increasing in duration due to warmer springs and summer, as well as drier soils and vegetation. This begs the question: how can we protect ourselves from the potential health risks of dangerously high AQI levels if they return as predicted? To name a few strategies, experts recommend closing doors and windows, using recirculation features in cars while driving, avoiding extensive exercise, and staying equipped with N95 masks. Following this advice, we can protect ourselves from the ramifications of future wildfires and maintain a healthy respiratory system.
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