Stay Inside Due To Poor Air Quality, Lacey Officials Urge

LACEY, NJ — Township officials are urging residents to use caution while the state is under an air quality alert.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection issued a Code Red Air Quality Action Day for fine particulates, until midnight Thursday night, as lingering smoke from wildfires in Canada creates unsafe conditions across the state.

“Due to heavy smoke from a convergence of wildfires as far away as Canada, the NJDEP has issued an air quality alert for the entire region of the state, including Ocean County Area,” Mayor Timothy McDonald said in a release. “We ask everyone to protect their health by staying informed and carefully following NJDEP's guidelines throughout the duration of the alert.”

The Air Quality Index (AQI) was as high as 180 Wednesday morning, but as of 12 p.m., dropped to 162. An AQI value of 163 is considered unhealthy air for people to breathe. In Lacey, the AQI is predicted to drop to 125 Thursday, which is still concerning, particularly for older or pregnant people, children, and those with health conditions that put them at risk.

This include caution from the sporting organizations as well with games and practices for the youth.

READ MORE: Code Red Issued: How To Stay Safe In NJ's Wildfire Haze

The DEP advises the following to protect yourself:

• Staying indoors as much as possible.
• Keeping your windows closed.
• Using an air purifier if possible.
• If you must go outside, limit your physical activity and wear a mask for any extended period of exposure.

“These guidelines are for all of us and even our pets, because air pollution concentrations are unhealthy for everyone,” McDonald said. “But they should be most carefully followed by sensitive groups such as children, older adults, and people with heart disease, asthma, or other lung diseases.”

The Township will continue to monitor the air quality through advisement of the Office of the Governor, the NJDEP and the State Department of Health and will issue updates as needed throughout the alert. For more information, please visit the NJDEP website at www.nj.gov/dep.