Wildfires in Canada cause high levels of fine particulates across New York

Wildfires in Canada are causing smoky conditions in New York State, prompting air quality alerts for fine particulates in all regions across the state Wednesday.

An air quality health advisory is in effect for Long Island through midnight tonight due to elevated levels of fine particulate pollution, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

“New York State updated an Air Quality Health Advisory for fine particulate matter for today, July 15, 2026, to include all regions of New York State due to the impact of smoke from wildfires in Canada,” according to a press release issued by the governor’s office Wednesday.

“While the western regions are expected to see the greatest impact, there will likely be spikes of poor air quality throughout the state. There is the potential for visible smoke and hazy skies across the state and New Yorkers may see temporary spikes in smoke-related pollution.”

Air quality levels in outdoor air are expected to exceed an Air Quality Index value of 100 for fine particulates, the DEC said. The AQI is a scale used to communicate how polluted the air is and the level of potential health concern.

The AQI is 125 for fine particulates across the Long Island and New York City regions, due to wildfires in Canada.

The National Weather Service said wildfire smoke could lead to hazy skies and reduced visibility at times today, with smoke remaining in the forecast into Thursday.

State health officials recommend limiting strenuous outdoor physical activity when pollution levels are elevated, especially for people who may be more sensitive to the effects of poor air quality, including young children and those with preexisting respiratory problems such as asthma or heart disease. Anyone experiencing symptoms should consider consulting a physician.

For more information, visit https://on.ny.gov/nyaqi or call the state air quality hotline at 1-800-535-1345.