Weather

Air quality alert issued for Wednesday amid smoke from Canadian wildfires

By ARLnow.com
Soccer at Highlands Park in the haze along Hayes Street in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Updated at 9:45 a.m. — The Code Orange alert has been changed to a Code Red alert.

Wednesday is forecast to be a “Code Orange” day in Arlington and across the D.C. area.

That’s according to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, which says local air quality will be “unhealthy for sensitive groups.”

Air quality is low across much of the eastern U.S. as smoke from wildfires in Canada is blown south, making for hazy skies and, in some cases, a campfire-like smell outside.

More on the Code Orange alert, below, from MWCOG.

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) has forecast a Code Orange air day for the metropolitan Washington region tomorrow: Wednesday, June 7. Code Orange levels mean the air is unhealthy for sensitive groups. Smoke coming from fires in Canada will contribute to the increased levels of fine particle pollution.

On unhealthy air days, COG advises the following health precautions:

  • Children and older adults should reduce outdoor activities.
  • Healthy individuals should limit strenuous work or exercise, especially outdoors.
  • Individuals with respiratory and heart ailments, emphysema, asthma, or chronic bronchitis should limit their activity level. If breathing becomes difficult, move indoors.

Residents can check current air quality conditions on COG’s website or by downloading a free air quality app from Clean Air Partners.

On unhealthy air days, residents are encouraged to take the following actions to help reduce pollution:

  • Turn off lights and electronics when not in use and follow tips from your electric utility about how to use less electricity to cool your home.
  • Avoid lawn mowing or use an electric mower.
  • Use transit, carpool, or work from home to limit driving. Fill up your gas tank during evening hours.

COG provides air quality forecasts and current air quality conditions for metropolitan Washington. It also educates the public about voluntary actions people can take to reduce pollution and the health risks of bad air quality through its Clean Air Partners program, which is co-sponsored by the Baltimore Metropolitan Council.

It’s possible that a Code Red air quality alert could be issued in the coming days, as the smoke gets worse locally, according to the Capital Weather Gang.