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<\/p>\nResidents across the Boston area woke up to smoky skies and an unusual yellow-orange haze as wildfire smoke from Canada drifted into New England, reducing air quality and prompting health warnings from medical experts.<\/p>\n
The smoke was noticeable throughout the day, with many people describing darker skies, a red-tinted sun and conditions that looked unlike a typical summer day.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was standing in my little kitchen area and all of a sudden I looked out the window and I said, \u2018What? It\u2019s dark out!\u2019\u201d said Bridie Coulter.<\/p>\n
Others said the smoky conditions were striking.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean that\u2019s kind of terrifying because it feels like we\u2019re in an apocalyptic war zone or something,\u201d said Bella Cardona in Boston.<\/p>\n
Cardona added that while the scenery looked beautiful, it also raised concerns.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe sun was red. It was bright red. Today I honestly thought it looked really pretty, but some people were saying it was pollution,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Canadian wildfire smoke creates hazy skies over Boston, raising health concerns <\/p>\n
Smoke from Canadian wildfires affecting air quality<\/p>\n
The haze blanketing the region is the result of wildfire smoke traveling south from Canada. While the smoky skies may be visually dramatic, doctors warn that the tiny particles in the smoke can pose health risks.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s never a level that\u2019s healthy, but in particular for wildfire smoke, we think about the fine particulate matter as one of the most important drivers of things that can make you sick from wildfire smoke,\u201d said Dr. Regan Bergmark, a sinus surgeon with Mass General Brigham.<\/p>\n
Health experts say an Air Quality Index (AQI) above 100 is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, including children, older adults and people with asthma or other respiratory conditions. On Wednesday afternoon, Boston\u2019s AQI reached 132, placing air quality in the unhealthy-for-sensitive-groups category.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou never want to be breathing polluted air. If you have asthma, you might have an asthma attack. If you\u2019re a healthy person, you\u2019re probably not going to have something dramatic happen to you, but obviously it\u2019s better to breathe fresh air,\u201d Bergmark said.<\/p>\n
How to protect yourself<\/p>\n
Doctors recommend limiting time outdoors when air quality deteriorates due to wildfire smoke. Keeping windows and doors closed and using an air purifier or air filtration system indoors can help reduce exposure to harmful particles.<\/p>\n
Even people without underlying health conditions may experience symptoms such as eye irritation, coughing or throat discomfort after prolonged exposure to smoky air.<\/p>\n
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