The area may again smell like a campfire Tuesday with hazy skies and reduced visibility.
More Canadian wildfires have led to another poor air quality alert for Tuesday for Massachusetts, Rhode Island and other New England states.
New England state air quality forecasters are predicting air quality Tuesday that will be unhealthy for sensitive groups, due to elevated concentrations of fine particle air pollution from wildfires in Quebec and Northern Ontario, the Boston-based New England office of the EPA said.
A similar scenario played out last week due to wildfires in Nova Scotia that prompted area residents to report possible fires that had firefighters out on the lookout.
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Monday issued a statewide air quality alert effective from midnight Monday to midnight Tuesday.
“Smoke is expected to enter western sections of the state later tonight and spread eastward through much of the state during the overnight and early morning hours on Tuesday,” MassDEP said.
Areas predicted to exceed the federal air quality standard for 24-hour particle pollution level concentrations Tuesday are Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, parts of New Hampshire, and Vermont, EPA officials said.
EPA and state forecasters are predicting the smoke plumes will linger in New England for a few days, but the locations are subject to change, the EPA said.
Last week’s fires only led to poor air quality alerts for a few hours.
When particulate matter levels are elevated, people should refrain from strenuous outdoor activity and take more breaks, especially sensitive populations such as children and adults with respiratory problems, officials say. Watch for symptoms such as coughing or shortness of breath.
Exposure to elevated fine particle pollution levels can affect both lungs and heart which may cause breathing problems, aggravate asthma, and other pre-existing lung diseases, officials say.
“During the times that significant smoke is in your area, it is recommended that people with pre-existing medical conditions remain indoors with windows closed while circulating indoor air with a fan or air conditioner,” EPA officials said.
The public is urged to take steps to keep air emissions down during air quality advisory days, such as carpooling and refraining from cutting lawns.
As climate change increases the probability of unseasonably warm weather, these kinds of air quality events are predicted to increase in frequency. Communities already vulnerable and overburdened will also be impacted by these kinds of events, the EPA added.
