![]() ![]() I mean, just here in D.C., for example, last May was the driest May on record since 1999. I mean, it has a lot to do just with the lack of rain. Are fires particularly bad this year, and what's going on? Why are they so bad?įENSTON: Yeah. MARTÍNEZ: Now, this is smoke from fires in eastern Canada, mostly in Quebec. You know, in the meantime, officials are telling people keep an eye on that local air quality and stay indoors if you can, especially keep kids inside and people with any kind of heart or lung conditions. But the smoky air is likely to stick around at least today and into tomorrow. When's the air supposed to clear up?įENSTON: It depends a lot on the local weather conditions, on what happens, you know, in Canada with the fires. MARTÍNEZ: Yeah, you're getting a little slice of California life there. So parents were just really left wondering, like, is my kid going to be exposed to unhealthy air outdoors at school? public schools waited until after school started yesterday to announce, like, oh, we're going to keep kids inside during recess and outdoor sports, so - cancel outdoor sports. So, you know, just one little example - I have elementary school kids. You know, so it's just not something we're prepared for. So yesterday was the first time we've had a code red air quality day outside of Fourth of July in two decades. I mean, just to give you one data point, here in D.C., our worst air quality days are almost always on Fourth of July because of, you know, the big fireworks displays. MARTÍNEZ: And how uncommon is this sort of air quality in Eastern states?įENSTON: It's really new. history, exposing tens of millions of people in the most densely populated part of the country. It was really one of the worst wildfire exposure events in recent U.S. You know, in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and now moving south into Maryland, they've had what's considered hazardous air - so, like, yeah, Major League Baseball games postponed, Broadway performances canceled. So if you're familiar with the Air Quality Index, or AQI, it's been, you know, between 150 and 200, which is considered code red or unhealthy air for the general public. You know, I had to stop and take a picture. I - you know, I noticed the first thing yesterday morning - I was on a bike ride going down a hill where usually there's a great view of the Washington Monument. JACOB FENSTON, BYLINE: Yeah, it's pretty bad. Jacob, you're right in the path of that smoke. ![]() ![]() MARTÍNEZ: Environment reporter Jacob Fenston joins us now from member station WAMU in Washington, D.C. Flights have been grounded, a New York Yankees game has been canceled, and schools are keeping kids indoors. Yeah, this comes as people across much of the Eastern United States are waking up today to dangerously polluted air. firefighters are joining the battle against wildfires burning in Canada, and President Biden's offering additional support. ![]()
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