Code Red Issued: How To Stay Safe In NJ’s Wildfire Haze

NEW JERSEY— State environmental officials issued a "Code Red Air Quality Action Day" across New Jersey, as lingering smoke from wildfires in Canada has created another day of unsafe air quality for sensitive groups.

The National Weather Service has issued Air Quality Alerts across the state, with the counties closest to New York City under heaviest threat Wednesday afternoon from particles in the air that are lingering.

And, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection issued a Code Red Air Quality Action Day for fine particulates, until midnight Thursday night.

With the amount of smoke and air pollution in the atmosphere on Wednesday and Thursday, it will be difficult for some sensitive groups (children, the elderly, people with breathing conditions) to do normal activities outside. And, even those adults without lung conditions may feel irritation in their eyes, nose, and throat.

Smoke from the fires has been moving into the United States since last month, but has become more noticeable this week. And the level of air pollution is making things uncomfortable for people with pre-existing conditions and other residents of New Jersey who are wondering why it smells like smoke outside and why their throats are itchy. Related article — Wildfire Smoke Will Linger In NJ: What To Expect

Air quality is unhealthy across the entire state of New Jersey as of noon Wednesday according to AirNow.gov, which reports air quality using the official U.S. Air Quality Index (AQI).

An additional surge of smoke coming southward may increase the hazy conditions later Wednesday, and the air quality alerts continue into Thursday.

"Even thicker smoke and resulting poor air quality ('very unhealthy' levels on the air quality index) is quickly pushing southward and will expand across the rest of our area this afternoon & evening," said the National Weather Service in Mount Holly on Wednesday afternoon.

Air quality alerts are triggered by a number of factors, including the detection of fine-particle pollution — known as “PM 2.5” — which can irritate the lungs.

Exposure to air pollutants from the wildfire, which as particulate matter and ground-level ozone, can cause headaches, irritated eyes and sinuses, fatigue, difficulty breathing, chest pains, asthma attacks, irritated throat and increased coughing, the National Weather Service said.

"Poor air quality can be hazardous to anyone, and it can aggravate health problems such as asthma, heart disease, and lung disease," the weather service added. "Seniors, children and those with compromised immune systems are especially at risk."

Children are more susceptible to smoke for a number of reasons, said Laura Kate Bender of the American Lung Association.

“Their lungs are still developing, they breathe in more air per unit of body weight,” she told the Associated Press.

Experts advise people in sensitive groups to limit outdoor activities while the air quality alert is in effect, as well as those not considered especially at risk. Limiting yard work and outdoor exercise, as well as keeping doors, windows, and fireplaces shut are ways to reduce your exposure. If you do go out, consider wearing an N95 face mask to filter out pollutants.

Dr. David Hill, a member of the American Lung Association's National Board of Directors, suggested that residents make sure their home HVAC systems are up to date.

“Some people, particularly those with underlying lung disease, or heart disease, should consider investing in air purifiers for their homes,” Hill said.

Hill also said that the particles in the air from the massive Canadian wildfires are able to get into our lungs and irritate them.

“We have defenses in our upper airway to trap larger particles and prevent them from getting down into the lungs. These are sort of the right size to get past those defenses,” Hill said. “When those particles get down into the respiratory space, they cause the body to have an inflammatory reaction to them.”

There are approximately 160 wildfires burning across Quebec, part of a wider group of more than 300 fires across the country that some are calling Canada's worst fire season ever. Quebec's fire prevention agency has said high temperatures and dry conditions have contributed to the raging fire season.

Patch’s Nicole Rosenthal contributed to this report.