Wildfire smoke and air quality updates: Northeast flights disrupted

Air quality alerts have been issued for states across the Northeast.

ByIvan Pereira, Teddy Grant, and Emily Shapiro
Last Updated: June 9, 2023, 2:56 PM EDT

Hazy and dangerous fumes from ongoing wildfires in Canada have engulfed the skies over much of the East Coast, prompting serious air quality alerts in over a dozen states.

Canadian officials said firefighters are scrambling to put out the blazes. So far this wildfire season, Canada has seen more than 8.7 million acres burned -- an area larger than the state of Vermont.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news developed. All times Eastern.
Jun 07, 2023, 4:13 PM EDT

The forecast

More smoke is expected in the Northeast for the next few days.

Traffic moves along West Street past One World Trade Center, June 7, 2023, in New York, amidst smokey haze from wildfires in Canada.
Andy Bao/AP

A woman jogs with a dog along the Hudson River shortly after sunrise, as haze and smoke caused by wildfires in Canada hang over the Manhattan skyline, in New York City, June 7, 2023.
Mike Segar/Reuters

The thickest smoke will drift south Wednesday afternoon and is forecast to envelop Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., Wednesday night and Thursday. These cities may see AQI levels reach the most severe “hazardous” level over the next 24 hours.

On Thursday afternoon, another round of smoke is expected to move over Lake Superior and into Cleveland, Ohio; Erie, Pennsylvania; and Buffalo, New York.

-ABC News' Dan Amarante

Jun 07, 2023, 3:55 PM EDT

Why the poor air quality could cause a host of symptoms -- even in healthy people

Exposure to concentrated amounts of fine particulate matter can cause both short-term effects such as irritation of the eyes, nose and throat; coughing, sneezing; and shortness of breath, and long-term effects such as worsening asthma and heart disease, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Fine particles are able to enter the body through the eyes and lungs. Not everyone feels the same symptoms, and the pollution can exacerbate existing health issues, such as asthma and allergies, Peter DeCarlo, associate professor of environmental health and engineering, told ABC News.

Click here to learn more.

-ABC News' Julia Jacobo

Jun 07, 2023, 3:34 PM EDT

New Jersey closes state offices early

New Jersey's state offices closed early Wednesday as the air conditions worsened, Gov. Phil Murphy announced.

The governor has urged residents to limit their time outside.

Jun 07, 2023, 2:55 PM EDT

New York City tops list of world's worst air quality rankings

New York City is topping the list of the world's worst air quality rankings by a landslide, according to IQ Air, which monitors air quality worldwide.

New York City reached 392 on the AQI Wednesday afternoon, which is in the worst category -- hazardous -- on the U.S. government’s air quality tracker. Wednesday shattered New York City's record for the highest AQI since records began in 1999.

Dubai and Delhi came in at No. 2 and No. 3 in the world with 168 and 164, respectively.

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