Haze from Canadian wildfires blankets the downtown Pittsburgh skyline as seen from West End Overlook in Elliott, Pa., Wednesday, June 28, 2023. (Benjamin B. Braun/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP)
Pittsburgh’s air quality was deemed “very unhealthy” Wednesday, as Canadian wildfires continue to cause serious air quality issues throughout the state. Conditions are expected to improve by the weekend.
The poor air quality conditions that plagued central and eastern Pennsylvania due to smoke from wildfires in eastern Canada earlier this month have returned, this time impacting the entire state.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection declared a statewide Code Red air quality day for Thursday, meaning air quality is considered “unhealthy” for all residents.
Concentrations of smoke will likely be high throughout the day in western Pennsylvania and increasing throughout the day in eastern Pennsylvania, according to the agency.
The state DEP advises vulnerable individuals to stay inside, and for residents to keep doors, windows and fireplaces shut, and run the air conditioning on a recirculation setting.
Experts say if you have to go out, avoid strenuous activity, limit your time outdoors, and consider wearing an N95 mask to reduce your exposure to pollutants.
Pets should also be kept inside and only taken outside for a limited period of time.
Pittsburgh was under a Code Purple Wednesday, as a curtain of haze blanketed the city. Under Code Purple, the air is considered “very unhealthy” for the entire public, not just for those who have sensitivities or illnesses. The Code Purple air quality index is between 201 and 300. Pittsburgh’s air quality index was 226 on Wednesday. As of late Thursday morning, it had dropped to 196, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency’s AirNow.gov site.
As of late Thursday morning, the EPA was projecting some slight relief on Friday by forecasting a Code Orange, throughout the state.
Author
Support Our Cause
Thank you for taking the time to read our work. Before you go, we hope you'll consider supporting our values-driven journalism, which has always strived to make clear what's really at stake for Pennsylvanians and our future.
Since day one, our goal here at The Keystone has always been to empower people across the commonwealth with fact-based news and information. We believe that when people are armed with knowledge about what's happening in their local, state, and federal governments—including who is working on their behalf and who is actively trying to block efforts aimed at improving the daily lives of Pennsylvania families—they will be inspired to become civically engaged.
For Rep. Susan Wild, supporting PA families includes reproductive rights and much more
Rep. Susan Wild wants to be very clear with Pennsylvanians: Donald Trump is committed to taking away women’s reproductive freedom, but he is not...
School districts working with anti-LGBTQ groups can cost your kids’ schools millions
Parents across South Central Pennsylvania are worried about the potential financial impacts working with anti-LGBTQ groups may have on their school...
VIDEO: Trump distances himself from his anti-abortion views
Donald Trump appeared on WGAL on Tuesday and continued to distance himself from his anti-abortion views claiming that reproductive rights are now a...
VIDEO: Community pushback gets school board to rescind decision on denying gay actor’s visit
Cumberland Valley School Board offered a public apology and voted to reinstate Maulik Pancholy as a guest speaker a week after the board voted to...
VIDEO: Project 2025 brings nuclear armageddon back into vogue
Project 2025 is a titanic document, with plans ranging from cutting half of all government employees to targeting reproductive rights on a scale...
