Air pollution in New York from fires on the US west coast
The fine dust pollution is too high in the east coast metropolis. The smog comes from the other side of the continent. A state of emergency was declared there because of the forest fires.
Manhattan is shrouded in gray haze – because of the forest fires on the other side of the continent.
Foto: Julie Jacobson (AP/Keystone)
Smoke from the forest fires in the western United States and Canada shrouded the east coast metropolis of New York in a gray haze on Tuesday. The environmental agency of the state of New York issued a health alarm due to increased particulate matter pollution.
A representative from the New York City agency said it was not uncommon for smoke from fires in the west of the country to penetrate the region. However, this time he is in a lower layer of air. The weather service predicted a cold front for Wednesday, which should put an end to the phenomenon.
–The Statue of Liberty stands lonely in the thick smog.
Foto: Julie Jacobson (AP/Keystone)
Emergency in Canada
Huge forest fires are raging again in the western United States. Worst hit is the state of Oregon, where the emergency services fight against the huge bootleg fire. The fire department chief Rob Allen described the major fire on Tuesday as a “monster”. Fighting this fire is “a marathon, not a sprint”.
In the western Canadian province of British Columbia, the state of emergency has been in effect since Tuesday – it allows the authorities to order mass evacuations and set up protective facilities for the people who have been brought to safety. “We have reached a critical point,” warned Provincial Public Security Secretary Mike Farnworth.
Authorities asked another 5,700 people to leave their homes. Tens of thousands more were called upon to prepare for possible similar orders. “Please prepare an evacuation plan for your family,” appealed to fire chief Cliff Chapman to the people.
3000 firefighters against 300 forest fires
A total of around 300 forest fires are raging in the province, and more than 3,000 firefighters are working against the flames. The authorities expect the situation to worsen in the coming days – according to the weather forecasts, it should stay hot and dry. According to Chapman, around 3,000 square kilometers of land have already been burned – an area roughly three times the size of what is usual at this time of the year.
According to scientists, climate change is increasing the drought in the region, creating the conditions for forest fires to spread.
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