An air quality alert is in place for two of Massachusetts’ largest cities on Friday as smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to drift through the Bay State.
The alert, which includes the cities of Charlemont, Greenfield, Orange, Barre, Fitchburg, Chesterfield, Blandford, Amherst, Northampton, Springfield, Milford, and Worcester, is in place until midnight on Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
An air quality alert “means that Fine Particulates concentrations within the region may approach or exceed levels that are Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups,” the weather service wrote.
Read more: Why climate change and wildfires could mean more air quality alerts in Mass.
The air is unhealthy for sensitive children and adults, including those with asthma, lung or heat disease and older adults, according to the weather service. Sensitive children and adults should avoid spending prolonged time outside, forecasters warned.
In a post on X, forecasters blamed the poor air quality in some areas on wildfire smoke moving in from Canada.
A record number of wildfires in 2023 forced more than 235,000 people across Canada to evacuate and sent thick smoke into parts of the U.S., leading to hazy skies and health advisories in multiple U.S. cities.
Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.
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Publish date : 2024-08-16 00:07:00
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