Air Hits 'Hazardous' Level In Wayne Due To Canadian Wildfires

WAYNE, NJ — Smoke from massive wildfires in Canada caused Wayne Schools to send students home early, and the air quality hit the "hazardous" level on Wednesday afternoon.

Thursday is expected to have lower levels of particulate matter in the air, but certain sensitive groups (children, teens, seniors, and those with heart or lung conditions) will be advised to avoid strenuous activity outside. People with sensitivities to air pollution should take extra care, officials say.

AirNow.gov, which reports air quality using the official U.S. Air Quality Index (AQI), shows that Wayne had a particulate matter level of 332 at 4 p.m. Wednesday, passing the "very unhealthy" category into "hazardous." With the pollutant level this high, weather officials say "everyone should stay indoors and reduce activity levels."

Check the current air quality index in Wayne here.

Wayne Police and fire officials posted about the fires on Tuesday night, saying dispatchers were aware "of the general smoke condition through the town."

"As always, if you see flames or otherwise suspect fire in your vicinity, call 911," police said. "Thank you."

Wayne Fire Company #3 also informed residents that the smoke haze and burning odor are from the hundreds of fires burning in the United States' northern neighbor, not any wildfires in Wayne.

With the amount of smoke and air pollution in the atmosphere, it is expected to be difficult Thursday 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.

Wayne township is under an Air Quality Alert, and the NJ Department of Environmental Protection issued a Code Red Air Quality Action Day for fine particulates, both through Thursday at 11:59 p.m.

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.

An additional plume of thick smoke began to spread south into New Jersey on Wednesday, even as the skies were yellow and the air smelled like a campfire.

"Air quality will be very poor today due to the smoke and haze from wildfires in Canada. It is recommend to limit time and any exertion outdoors. Wearing a mask may help limit irritation of the respiratory system if you must spend time outdoors today," the National Weather Service said Wednesday.

Related articles:

• Early Dismissal At Wayne Schools, Activities Cancelled For Air Quality
• When Will Smoke Clear In NJ? What To Expect
• Code Red Issued: How To Stay Safe In NJ's Wildfire Haze
• Flight Delays At Newark Airport Due To Wildfire Smoke, Low Visibility

Exposure to air pollutants from the wildfire, which include 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, weather experts said.

The Quebec-area fires followed wildfires in Nova Scotia.