An air quality alert was issued for the second day in a row as smoke from the western wildfires rose toward the east coast, creating potentially dangerous conditions for some people.
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection issued the air quality advisory for much of the state Monday through Tuesday.
The advisory was active in all parts of the state, except in Plymouth and Bristol counties, and on Cape Cod and the islands. Warns of high levels of fine particles in the air that could aggravate the breathing of people in sensitive groups.
The wildfires are also causing notable haze across the state for the second time in two weeks. Hazy skies framed Boston with a smoky aura on Monday.
“Even when I walk, it’s hard to breathe a little,” said Laura Penney of Dorchester.
The Boston skyline even disappeared entirely from some views.
Many locations throughout the state have air pollution levels classified as “unhealthy” by the Department of Environmental Protection; that’s the level at which the agency recommends that people avoid “prolonged or strenuous exertion outdoors” and engage in only less-strenuous outdoor activities.
People in sensitive groups, including “people with heart or lung conditions such as asthma, older adults, children, adolescents, and people who are active outdoors,” should consider moving outdoor activities indoors or rescheduling them if they live in a community. affected area. advised DEP.
Across the state, fire departments alerted residents Monday that the smell of smoke and haze they were experiencing are related to wildfires occurring on the other side of the country.
Apparently, the smell was prompting people to call 911, because they thought there was a fire near them.
Transcontinental smoke from wildfires had damaged air quality on the east coast last week.
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