Canada's 400 Wildfires Blanket US with Red Haze; What's the Air Quality Score?

A massive wildfire is raging through forests in Canada, North America, on Wednesday (June 7, 2023). The event has caused several areas around Canada to be affected by wildfire smoke.

According to Reuters, forest fires are common in Canada's western provinces, but this year the fires have spread rapidly in the east. This tragedy is the worst to occur so early in the season.

Federal Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair stated that approximately 3.8 million hectares have burned. This is almost 15 times the average fire size over the past 10 years.

"Across the country to this day, there are 414 forest fires, 239 of which are confirmed to be uncontrolled," he said in a press conference on Wednesday (June 7, 2023).

The province of Quebec in eastern Canada is one of the worst affected. The fires forced the government to close roads, causing disruptions to telecommunications and high power outages.

The aftermath of this event has also exposed surrounding areas of Canada to wildfire smoke. The BBC shared a map of the Canadian wildfire haze extending to the United States.

Several areas are marked with dark red to purple, indicating a pollution level reaching 250-500 micrograms per cubic meter. This is the most dangerous category.

Videos and images of hazy, orange-red conditions in New York City, USA, went viral on social media. Suara.com reported that the air quality in the metropolitan city reached 342 points.

So, what is the current air quality in US cities?

IQAir compiled data on at least 10 cities in the United States with the worst air quality. Data was taken on Friday, June 9, 2023, at 3:00 AM local time.

The city with the worst air quality is Felton, Delaware, with a score of 171 points. The main pollutant is PM2.5 with a concentration of 96 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³).

Second is Saint Mary, Maryland, with a quality score of 168 points. Third is Fall River, Massachusetts, with a score of 161 points.

Charlotte Hall and Millington in Maryland follow in fourth and fifth place with the same score of 160 points. The rest are shown in the graph.

(Also read: Jakarta's Air Quality This Morning is the Third Worst in the World)