Code Red Air Quality Action Day issued in Philadelphia region due to wildfire smoke | What to know
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The Delaware Valley is set to experience a dangerous combination of high heat and wildfire smoke.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has declared a statewide Code Red Air Quality Action Day for Thursday because of wildfire smoke from Canada and Minnesota that is expected to spread into the state. It has already created hazy conditions across parts of New England and New York.
The air pollution value is at 184 around 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, which has dropped slightly from what it was around 4:30 a.m., but is still considered "unhealthy."
Meteorologist Karen Rogers says the air quality will fluctuate depending on the wind direction, adding that people should monitor the air quality throughout the day.
"Our concern as lung doctors isn't so much the smog and the smoke. It's the particles from the smoke, and the combustion that travel hundreds and thousands of miles to get to you," said Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos, a pulmonologist and professor at Johns Hopkins University.
Latest AccuWeather forecast for the region
Dr. Galiatsatos, who also serves as a volunteer with the American Lung Association, said when you breathe those particles, they can get deep inside your lungs and cause inflammation.
He said exposure to them can lead to coughing, headaches and nausea. He also said for people with vascular issues, it can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
6abc Air Quality Tracker
His best piece of advice for people living in the Philadelphia region is to track the air quality with the weather app on your phone or the Air Now website.
According to Dr. Galiatsatos, the air quality index, or AQI, is acceptable if it's between 0 and 50.
But, he said, if the AQI is between 50 and 100, "those with preexisting lung conditions, and those with preexisting heart conditions, you want to try to minimize your time out."
For anything above 100, Dr. Galiatsatos said everyone, regardless of medical history, should limit their time outside.
In June 2023, lingering Canadian wildfire smoke led to major air quality issues in Philadelphia. At the time, the AQI reached a maroon level.
James Garrow, Philadelphia's Deputy Health Commissioner, said that level "is really dangerous for just about everybody, and we made recommendations for everyone to stay inside."
"This is an opportunity for folks to listen to their bodies and make sure that if they're having difficulty breathing, head inside," Garrow said.
Garrow recommends Philadelphians keep track of the air quality on the Breathe Philly website.
