An air quality alert is in effect Thursday for New York City, Long Island and the lower Hudson Valley due to smoke from the Ocean County, New Jersey wildfire.
The Jones Road Wildfire rages on in South Jersey, and the smoke could impact our area for the next few days. The wildfire is located in Ocean and Lacey townships in Ocean County. With about 50% of the fire contained as of Thursday morning, smoke continues to billow across the area. The prevailing winds are shifting to the south, so we could be exposed to fine particulate matter.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation issued an Air Quality Health Advisory for New York City on Thursday. The agency says the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) is forecast to reach Level Orange (AQI between 101-150), which is considered unhealthy for people in sensitive groups, such as adults over 65, children younger than 14, pregnant women, outdoor workers and people with underlying conditions, like heart or lung disease, or asthma. They are encouraged to reduce strenuous outdoor activities.
New York City’s Emergency Management Department says it is also working with the National Weather Service to assess potential impacts. So, what does that all mean? Well, two things come to mind: Reduced air quality and hazy skies.
