Wildfire smoke and air quality updates: Northeast flights disrupted

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

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.


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Northeast covered in haze as forecasters warn of more smoke to come

Millions of people in New York City and other locations in the Northeast scrambled to keep themselves free of the smoky air throughout the day and evening Tuesday.

The city's skyline was barely visible for most parts of the day, and the smell of the smoke was strong as commuters hit the evening rush.

Large cities with the lowest air quality include New York City, Albany and Cincinnati, a map by Airnow, a website that publishes air quality data, shows.

Another large and dense plume of smoke will be moving down across parts of the Northeast on Wednesday, according to forecasters.

That batch of very dense smoke will push down across the Northeast throughout the day on Wednesday, giving some relief to New England and the Midwest.

-ABC News' Julia Jacobo, Max Golembo and Daniel Peck


LaGuardia, Philadelphia-bound flights paused from Northeast, Ohio, Mid-Atlantic

Flights from the Northeast, Ohio and the Mid-Atlantic bound for the Philadelphia International Airport and New York City's LaGuardia Airport have been paused due to the smoke, the Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday morning.

The FAA cautioned, "We will likely need to take steps to manage the flow of traffic safely into New York City, DC, Philadelphia and Charlotte."