There are apprehensions in the United States over the worsening quality of air. Fires in Canada is blamed for the thickening cloud and the threatening environmental hazards. BBC Reports that authorities have urged residents to go out only when necessary and they must wear masks.
US President, Joe Bide has said that since May, more than 600 US firefighters have been deployed to help put out the blazes alongside Canadian firefighters.
He called the fires “another stark reminder of the impacts of climate change”, adding it was likely to be the worst fire season in Canada’s history.
Biden said he spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau yesterday and offered additional support to put out the fires, particularly those in Quebec.
He said the National Interagency Fire Center would respond quickly to Canadian requests for more firefighters and fire suppression tools such as air tankers. Scientists have said the situation in different cities are of varying degrees. Here’s what some US cities are experiencing:
Washington, DC, with a “very unhealthy” air quality index of 236
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with a “very unhealthy” air quality index of 163
New York City, with a “very unhealthy” air quality index of 132
Chicago, Illinois, with an “unhealthy” air quality index of 123
Detroit, Michigan, with a “poor” air quality index of 79. BBC also reported that cince the turn of the century the city has had only four days marked as red, with an AQI between 151 and 200. Not a single day was purple, indicating a level of 200 and above.