Smoke from Canadian wildfires shrouded New York in a record-breaking apocalyptic smog on Wednesday, as cities along the US east coast issued air pollution warnings and thousands evacuated their homes in Canada.
The devastating fires have displaced more than 20,000 people and scorched about 3.8 million hectares of land in Canada, where Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described this wildfire season as the country’s worst ever.
More than 100 million people across the northeastern US, and extending west to Chicago, Michigan, and south to Atlanta, Georgia, were under pollution warnings after the smoke drifted hundreds of kilometers from Canada, the US Environmental Protection Agency said.
The thick pollution cast an eerie, yellowish glow over New York City’s skyscrapers, delayed flights and forced the postponement of sporting events.
“It smells like someone is doing a barbecue,” said Nicha Suaittiyanon, a 30-year-old tourist in New York City from Thailand, who complained of watery and itchy eyes.
New York Mayor Eric Adams told New Yorkers to limit outdoor activity to “the absolute necessities,” adding that “this is not the day to train for a marathon.”
New York Governor Kathy Hochul called the situation an “emergency crisis” that could last several days.
All outdoor activities at New York City’s public schools were suspended, as the smog enveloped the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline.
The US Federal Aviation Administration said that it had slowed traffic to and from the city’s airports due to reduced visibility.
US President Joe Biden wrote on Twitter that more than 600 firefighters along with other personnel and equipment had been sent to Canada to help battle the blazes.
More than 11,000 people have been evacuated in Canada’s province of Quebec, and another 4,000 were expected to flee by the end of Wednesday, Quebec Premier Francois Legault said.
Biden spoke with Trudeau on Wednesday and offered “additional support to respond to the devastating and historic wildfires,” the White House said.
Trudeau said that he had thanked Biden, writing on Twitter: “These fires are affecting everyday routines, lives and livelihoods, and our air quality.”
“We’ll keep working ... to tackle climate change and address its impacts,” he wrote.
Scientists have warned that rising temperatures are increasing the risk of extreme weather, including the hot, dry spells that often fan wildfires.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the situation was an “alarming example of the ways in which the climate crisis is disturbing our lives.”
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