While Hudson County’s air quality is not listed as “code red” by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection on Thursday afternoon, it is still considered unhealthy, but improving. The DEP has extended the air quality alert through Friday at 11:59 pm.
The New Jersey Department of Health recommends that sensitive populations, including the elderly, infants and young children, and people with lung and heart disease remain indoors with doors and windows closed.
Forecasters say smoke from millions of acres burning in eastern Canadian wildfires is lingering above several states on the East Coast this week, making it difficult to breathe and bringing an eerie yellow or gray sky. Smoke will become more dense in the region Thursday night despite a brief period of showers in southern New Jersey this afternoon.
Friday will be considered a “code orange” day for the entire state. Aside from Sussex and Warren counties in the northwestern part of New Jersey, “code red” warnings exist in central and southern New Jersey as of 3 pm.
According to AirNow.gov, Hudson County’s air quality was listed at 172 as of 1:30 this afternoon. That figure puts it in the unhealthy range.
Governor Phil Murphy has spoken with Canadian officials, who reported more than 10 million acres were burning as of Wednesday night. More than 200 separate fires are burning in the country, with 170 of them considered “out of control.”
