Air Quality At 'Unhealthy' Levels In Mass As Canadian Wildfire Smoke Moves East

Smoke from Canadian wildfires darkened Massachusetts skies on Tuesday, June 6, as clouds of it moved across the East Coast, and state officials said things would not improve Wednesday.

State and federal authorities warned Massachusetts residents to avoid or limit outdoor activities on Wednesday, June 7, because poor air quality poses a health risk.
Photo Credit: *National Weather Service*

Josh Lanier

06/07/2023 3:34 a.m.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection issued a warning on Monday that the smoke would make the air quality "unhealthy" for sensitive groups. Those include young children, older adults, and people with respiratory or heart conditions. The agency said they should avoid outdoor activities.

Everyone else should limit their time outside and choose less strenuous activities while outdoors.

The warning remains in effect through Wednesday night. Officials said residents should check their local air quality levels at AirNow.gov before going outside.

Though, residents across the Bay State didn't need the warning to realize there was trouble in the air. They could see it and smell it.

Dozens of people posted photos to social media of the haze lingering in the air, which gave the sun an "ominous" glow.

Some even noticed what appeared to be ash collecting on the ground.

Western and Central Massachusetts received the brunt of the fallout Tuesday night.

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