Massive New Jersey wildfire prompts air quality alert for NYC
New York City and Long Island are under an air quality alert as smoke from a New Jersey wildfire drifts into the region.
State officials are advising residents—especially those with health sensitivities—to limit outdoor activities, News.Az reports, citing Newsweek.
Exposure to elevated levels of pollutants can pose serious health risks, particularly for sensitive groups such as children, older adults, and people with asthma, chronic lung disease, or heart conditions.
Air quality in Long Island and the New York City Metro area is expected to reach levels considered unhealthy for sensitive groups on Thursday, according to a forecast for the New York State Air Quality Index.
Meanwhile, air quality levels in the Upper and Lower Hudson Valley, Eastern Lake Ontario, Central, and Western New York were expected to fall in the "moderate" range.
The air quality alert, shared by the National Weather Service, said that "when pollution levels are elevated, the New York State Department of Health recommends that individuals consider limiting strenuous outdoor physical activity to reduce the risk of adverse health effects."
The Air Quality Index (AQI), developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), measures air pollution on a scale from 0 to 500:
- 0–50 (Green): Good – Air quality is satisfactory.
- 51–100 (Yellow): Moderate – Acceptable, with potential concerns for sensitive individuals.
- 101–150 (Orange): Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups – Affects people with heart or lung disease, older adults, children, and pregnant individuals.
- 151–200 (Red): Unhealthy – Everyone may begin to experience health effects.
- 201–300 (Purple): Very Unhealthy – Triggers health warnings of emergency conditions.
- 301–500 (Maroon): Hazardous – Serious risk to the entire population.
The air quality alert comes as emergency responders work to contain the Jones Road wildfire in New Jersey.
A Thursday morning update from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said the blaze had burned some 13,250 acres and was at 50 percent containment.
The fire, which broke out around 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area in Barnegat Township, soon extended into Lacey and Ocean townships.
The blaze has prompted the closure of some major highways and the evacuation of several thousand people.
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