Heavy smoke enveloped Washington DC on Thursday as the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCG) issued a “Code Purple” meaning the air is unhealthy for all people.
The Nationals baseball game was postponed, the National Zoo closed for the day and schools have moved recess indoors as smoke from Canada’s devastating wildfires moves south.
Meanwhile, New York City’s air quality index was downgraded from “hazardous” to “unhealthy” after the city was blanketed in an orange glow on Wednesday.
At least 13 states have issued air quality alerts, impacting an estimated 115 million people.
There are more than 400 wildfires raging in Canada which have led to mass evacuations in Quebec province.
Canadian officials warned that this could be the country’s worst wildfire season on record, with over 6.7 million acres already scorched.
Global temperature rise, caused by emissions from burning fossil fuels, is leading to larger, more frequent wildfires around the world.
And it’s a vicious circle: the emissions pumped into the atmosphere by fires add to global heating, further drying out the land and vegetation, making it more susceptible to catching fire.
