Smoke from Canadian wildfires shrouded New York in an apocalyptic smog Wednesday, as cities along the US East Coast issued air quality alerts and thousands evacuated their homes in Canada.
More than 100 million people across America’s northeast, and extending west to Chicago and south to Atlanta, were under pollution warnings after the smoke drifted hundreds of miles from Canada, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said.
The Big Apple’s mayor urged residents to stay indoors as the thick haze of pollution cast an eerie, yellowish glow over Manhattan’s famous skyscrapers and delayed flights in and out the city.
IQAir.com, which tracks air quality around the world, said New York — normally known for its piercing blue skies — was enduring the worst AQI of any major city in the world. New Delhi, renowned for its pollution, was the second worst.
New York is normally outside the top 3,000 worst cities for pollution, according to the website.
All outdoor activities at New York City’s public schools were suspended, with Mayor Eric Adams urging city dwellers to limit outdoor time to “the absolute necessities.”
Residents of the US capital also endured an acrid smell and cloudy skies Wednesday despite sunny weather.
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said the situation was an “alarming example of the ways in which the climate crisis is disturbing our lives.”
Scientists say warming temperatures increase the risk of the hot, dry weather that often fans wildfires.
In Canada’s Quebec province, now the epicenter of the devastating wildfires that have ravaged the country, more than 11,000 locals have already been evacuated.
Another 4,000 are expected to flee by the end of Wednesday, said Quebec Premier Francois Legault.
US President Joe Biden said on Twitter that more than 600 US firefighters and other personnel, along with equipment, had been deployed to Canada to help battle the blazes.
Roger Barake, with AFP
