Drifting smoke from N.J. wildfire will worsen air quality on Long Island and NYC
The wildfire covered 8,500 acres and led to about 3,000 residents being evacuated, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. Credit: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
Smoke from a wildfire in New Jersey is drifting up to New York City and Long Island, worsening air quality to unhealthy levels, according to an official warning in effect through Thursday at midnight.
An Air Quality Health Advisory says the air quality on Thursday may be particularly unhealthy for sensitive groups, according to New York State's Department of Environmental Conservation, which issued the alert.
On the Island, the air quality could be worse closer to the city than farther east, such as in Nassau County and western Suffolk, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Bryan Ramsey.
"It could reach unhealthy air quality levels," Ramsey said.
The air quality on Wednesday on Long Island and New York City is rated moderate, with ozone on the Island and fine particles in the city, according to the DEC.
At particular risk: those with medical conditions, the very old and the very young, the meteorologist said.
Said the DEC: "Exposure can cause short-term health effects, such as irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat, coughing, sneezing, runny nose, and shortness of breath. Exposure to elevated levels of fine particulate matter can also worsen medical conditions such as asthma and heart disease. People with heart or breathing problems, and children and the elderly may be particularly sensitive."
In an advisory on Wednesday, Suffolk County Health Commissioner Dr. Gregson Pigott "advises that all residents ... limit strenuous outdoor activity."
In addition to the city and Island, air quality is also expected to be poor in Rockland and Westchester counties.
The wildfire, which continued to burn in New Jersey, has led to the evacuation of thousands of people and the closure of a portion of the Garden State Parkway.
The air isn't as bad as it was in June 2023, when smoke plumes from wildfires in Canada hundreds of miles away wafted down to the United States.
Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.
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