Smoke from wildfires burning in Canada has blanketed parts of the U.S. East Coast for more than a day now, bringing with it hazardous conditions. Nanoparticles in the smoke could be damaging to the lungs and cardiovascular system. Lilia Luciano has the latest.
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Jodie Comer had to abruptly stop a Wednesday performance of Suzie Miller’s play “Prima Facie” after New York City skies were filled with smoke spreading south from Canadian wildfires.
According to eyewitnesses who spoke to Variety, the “Killing Eve” actor, who stars in the one-woman Broadway show, told audiences she was unable to breathe. A stage manager then helped Comer into the wings, just 10 minutes into the matinee performance.
Comer’s understudy Dani Arlington stepped in to start the play over from the top, according to a spokesperson for the production.
The Big Apple has been dealing with unhealthy air quality for the past two days, as Canadian wildfires have sent smoke and haze drifting over the northeastern U.S. Many New Yorkers are finding it difficult to breathe under the orange, campfire-scented sky.
Jodie Comer poses at the 2023 Outer Critics Circle Awards on May 25 in New York City.
Bruce Glikas via Getty Images
Comer has been receiving rave reviews for “Prima Facie,” which follows a young lawyer who is raped by a colleague.
She was nominated for a Tony Award in May, after already earning an Olivier Award and an Evening Standard Theatre Award for the role.
The English performer was beside herself while talking to The New York Times about her nomination last month.
“We’ve been on such a journey with this play,” Comer told the paper. “I never dreamed that this would be a point that we would be at. So it just feels incredible.”
“The response has been beautiful, and I just feel very, very grateful that so many on the team have been recognized as well,” she went on. “I can’t stress enough how much of a team effort this piece truly is.”
With the smoke from burning Canadian forests enveloping much of the U.S. Northeast, public schools in New York City and Washington, D.C., canceled outdoor activities, some companies told employees to work from home and professional baseball teams scrapped games.
Such disruptions in ordinary urban life illustrates the wide-ranging economic toll of climate change, which experts say is making wildfires more intense and contributing to air pollution.
“It’s gray and the sun looked orange in the sky this morning, like Star Wars or something,” Paul Billings, national vice president for public policy at the American Lung Association, told CBS MoneyWatch from Washington, D.C.
“It’s really early in the season, we’re still in the spring, and we’re seeing these wildfires in Canada and the U.S. that are impacting air quality across the eastern United States. In New England, across the mid-Atlantic and into Minnesota, we’re seeing elevated levels of particulate matter or soot,” he added.
These tiny particles are especially dangerous for people with heart disease, asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but they carry risks for everyone, including risks of asthma attacks, heart attack, stroke or early death.
“Some people need to take their medication more — others end up in the emergency room,” Billings said.
Because the kind of particles found iin smoke are so small, they get past the body’s natural defenses, such as mucus membranes in the nose and throat as well as the body’s coughing mechanism.
“They penetrate deep in the lungs and where you have oxygen exchange systems,” Billings said. “These particles actually get into your blood and create a wide range of poor health outcomes, including stroke, heart attacks and different kinds of cancer.”
Forest fires aren’t the only source of particulate matter — diesel trucks and coal-fired power have historically contributed the lion’s share of air pollution. But wildfires are a growing factor. The increased frequency of wildfires in a hotter, drier climate has reversed some of the improvements in air quality since the 1970 Clean Air Act, the American Lung Association noted in an April report.
“Staggering” costs
The earth’s warming climate is contributing to the problem, with temperatures in Canada unseasonably high this year. Lytton, British Columbia — typically a temperate town — hit a record high of 121 degrees last week, tying California’s Death Valley. Hot, dry weather makes it more likely that a forest will catch fire and burn longer. Already, Canada’s wildfire season is on track to be the most destructive in the country’s history.
Globally, air pollution kills more than 3 million people a year, according to the World Health Association. In dollar terms, the costs are vast and reflected in increased hospitalizations, missed work and school days, and lower worker productivity.
“The costs are staggering,” Billings said
Air pollution adds $2,500 a year to a typical American’s medical bills, a recent study from the Natural Resources Defense Council found. Across the U.S., smoke, factory output and car exhaust cost the economy $800 billion a year, or about 3% of the nation’s total economic output, the NRDC found.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, high levels of air pollution also reduce earnings by making it harder and more unpleasant to work, adding a significant drag on the economy. Outdoor workers, such as delivery people, and landscapers and teachers are most affected, but office workers aren’t necessarily safe. Even indoor air pollution spikes to three or four times safe levels during a wildfire event, studies have found.
$125 billion in lost pay
Researchers at Stanford who mapped wildfire plumes across the U.S. found that a single day of smoke exposure lowers a person’s quarterly earnings by 0.1%, according to a recent working paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Across the U.S. as a whole, workers lost $125 billion a year due to wildfire smoke, the paper found — about 2% of all labor income.
Aside from smoke, hotter air also increases production of ozone, a major component of smog and a lung irritant. “Some researchers have likened it to sunburn on the lungs — your cells get irritated and weep,” Billings said.
Workers in Washington, D.C., on June 07, 2023, as air quality fell to dangerous levels due to hundreds of Canadian wildfires.
Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
As with other kinds of pollution, the effects of ozone, smog and smoke aren’t evenly distributed, with low-income people and people of color more likely to be exposed, according to the ALA.
Businesses and governments can take some steps, like improving indoor filtration, not forcing workers to go outside and alerting issuing public service alerts about air quality. But reducing the toll of air pollution long-term means widespread electrification, Billings said. That would reduce emissions from transportation and factories.
“I think too often, people look at these as anomalous weather events,” he said. “This is not some happenstance of a fire. It’s early June. There have always been fires, but the big driver that is creating these hot, dry conditions that are creating the opportunities for these fires is climate change.”
NEW YORK (AP) — Smoke from Canadian wildfires poured into the U.S. East Coast and Midwest on Wednesday, covering the capitals of both nations in an unhealthy haze, holding up flights at major airports and prompting people to fish out pandemic-era face masks.
While Canadian officials asked other countries for help fighting more than 400 blazes nationwide that already have displaced 20,000 people, air quality with what the U.S. rates as hazardous levels of pollution extended into central New York. Massive tongues of unhealthy air extended as far as Virginia and Indiana, affecting millions of people.
“I can taste the air,” Dr. Ken Strumpf said in a Facebook post from Syracuse, New York, which was enveloped in an amber pall. The smoke, he later said by phone, even made him a bit dizzy.
In Baltimore, where officials warned residents to stay indoors when possible, Debbie Funk sported a blue surgical mask as she and husband, Jack Hughes, took their daily walk around Fort McHenry, a national monument overlooking the Patapsco River. The air hung thick over the water, obscuring the horizon as distant ships pushed slowly through the haze.
“I walked outside this morning and it was like a waft of smoke,” said Funk, who said the couple had considered skipping the walk but wanted some exercise. The two planned to stay inside later Wednesday.
Canadian officials say this is shaping up to be the nation’s worst wildfire season ever. It started early on drier-than-usual ground and accelerated very quickly, exhausting firefighting resources across the country, fire and environmental officials said.
A man talks on his phone as he looks through the haze at the George Washington Bridge in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., Wednesday, June 7, 2023. Intense Canadian wildfires are blanketing the northeastern U.S. in a dystopian haze, turning the air acrid, the sky yellowish gray and prompting warnings for vulnerable populations to stay inside. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Smoke from the blazes in various parts of the country has been lapping into the U.S. since last month but intensified with a recent spate of fires in Quebec, where more than 100 were burning and considered out of control Tuesday.
“The smoke was insane yesterday. I had to close my window because the fresh air just smelled like campfire,” said Zachary Kamel, 36, of Montreal.
Quebec Premier François Legault has said the province has the capacity to fight about 40 fires at the moment — and the usual reinforcements from other provinces have been strained by fires in Nova Scotia and elsewhere.
Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre spokesperson Jennifer Kamau said more than 950 firefighters and other personnel have already arrived from the U.S., Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, and more will be arriving soon.
The largest town in Northern Quebec — Chibougamau, population about 7,500 — was evacuated Tuesday, after another Quebec community was left to burn Monday, drawing the ire of local residents. Legault said authorities had no choice because the fire around the hamlet of Clova was too intense to send in water bombers. No homes had burned as of Tuesday.
Eastern Quebec got some rain Wednesday, but Montreal-based Environment Canada meteorologist Simon Legault said no rain is expected for days in the remote areas of central Quebec where the wildfires are more intense.
U.S. National Weather Service meteorologist Zach Taylor said the current weather pattern in the central and eastern U.S. is essentially funneling in the smoke. Some rain should help clear the air somewhat in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic this weekend or early next week, though more thorough relief will come from containing or extinguishing the fires, he noted.
Across the border, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul warned the public to “prepare for this over the long haul,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams told residents to limit outdoor activities as much as possible.
The FAA has slowed traffic to and from New York City area airports due to reduced visibility from wildfire smoke.
The agency will continue to adjust the volume of traffic to account for the rapidly changing conditions.
The Federal Aviation Administration paused some flights bound for LaGuardia Airport and slowed planes to Newark Liberty because the smoke was limiting visibility. The smoke also was contributing to delayed arrivals at Dulles International Airport outside Washington.
Schools in multiple states canceled sports and other outdoor activities, shifting recess and lunch time inside. Live horse racing was canceled Wednesday and Thursday at Delaware Park Wilmington. Organizers of Global Running Day, a virtual 5K and celebration of running, posted a warning on their website advising participants to monitor the air quality in their cities and change their running plans accordingly.
Some political demonstrations in spots from Manhattan to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, were moved indoors or postponed, and striking Hollywood writers were pulled off picket lines in the New York metropolitan area.
In this GOES-16 GeoColor and fire temperature satellite image taken Tuesday, June 6, 2023 at 6:40 p.m. EDT and provided by CIRA/NOAA, smoke from wildfires burning in the Canadian Provinces of Quebec, right, and Ontario, left, drift southward. (CIRA/NOAA via AP)
Sitting in a Brooklyn park with a black face mask on, nanny Meagan Bobb said she was surprised by how bad the air was.
“The little girl was coughing, and I was having problems breathing when I was walking around, so we’re looking to go inside somewhere soon,” Bobb said.
The smoke exacerbated health problems for people such as Vicki Burnett, 67, who has asthma and has had serious bouts with bronchitis.
After taking her dogs out Wednesday morning in Farmington Hills, Michigan, Burnett said, “I came in and started coughing and hopped back into bed.”
Still, she stressed that she’s concerned for Canadians, not just herself.
“It’s unfortunate, and I’m having some problems for it, but there should be help for them,” she said.
Gillies reported from Toronto. Contributing were Associated Press journalists Randall Chase in Dover, Delaware; Michael Hill in Albany, New York; Brooke Schultz in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania; Mark Scolforo in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Lea Skene in Baltimore; Carolyn Thompson in Buffalo, New York; Ron Todt in Philadelphia; Corey Williams in West Bloomfield, Michigan; and Jake Offenhartz, Karen Matthews and Julie Walker in New York.
This story has corrected the attribution of material about forecast for rain in Quebec to Montreal-based Environment Canada meteorologist Simon Legault, not Quebec Premier François Legault.
MADRID (AP) — More than 1,500 people were evacuated as a major forest fire raged in Spain’s eastern Castellon province on Friday, marking an early start to the nation’s fire season amid bone-dry conditions.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez promised full support to those who had fled their homes.
“We’re looking at the first major fire, unfortunately, this year,” he said. “And it is also taking place out of season.”
Local officials said the fire had engulfed around 3,000 hectares of land since it broke out on Thursday, forcing residents into shelters operated by the Red Cross and other charities.
Its cause was not immediately clear.
A helicopter with a bucket of water to extinguish the forest fire that originated in Villanueva de Viver.
Europa Press News via Getty Images
Ximo Puig, the president of the Valencia region that incorporates Castellon, told reporters the fire was “very early in the spring, very voracious from the beginning.”
Puig added that the effects of climate change “are undeniable, so the perspective of firefighting must be considered on an annual basis.”
Emergency services in the region said eight villages had been evacuated, as well as a home for older people in Montan.
As of Friday afternoon, 18 water-dropping planes and helicopters and more than 500 firefighters and soldiers were tackling the fire. The Spanish military and the nation’s ecological transition ministry deployed additional support to try to bring the blaze under control.
The state weather agency, AEMET, tweeted that “unfavorable weather conditions, especially considering the early date of the year, have favored the (fire’s) rapid spread.” Temperatures were above 25 Celsius (77 Fahrenheit) when the fire broke out, and relative humidity sank below 30% following an unusually dry winter in the area.
The risk of more fires in Castellon was classified as “extreme” on Friday.
Miguel Sandalinas, the mayor of one of the villages affected, said that fallen trees left over from winter and the general lack of care for dried vegetation had given the fire “a lot of ammunition.”
In 2022, wildfires burned through 306,555 hectares of land in Spain, an area almost four times the size of New York City, according to European Union data. Last year was also Spain’s hottest since records began.
Despite extensive planning, early warning surveillance and prediction models, preparing for wildfires remains a huge challenge.
Spain has warmed 1.3 degrees Celsius (2 degrees Fahrenheit) since the 1960s, a warming that is noticeable all year round but especially in summer, when average temperatures have risen by 1.6 degrees.
Chile extended an emergency declaration to another region on Saturday as firefighters continued to struggle to control dozens of raging wildfires. At least 22 people have died in connection to the fires, and 554 have been injured, including 16 in serious condition, according to Interior Minister Carolina Tohá.
The death toll is likely to rise as Tohá said there are unconfirmed reports of at least 10 people missing.
Firefighters work a forest fire in the Valparaiso Region, Chile.
JAVIER TORRES via Getty Images
The government declared a state of catastrophe Saturday on La Araucanía region, which is south of Ñuble and Biobío, two central-southern regions where the emergency declaration had already been issued, allowing for greater cooperation with the military.
The fires come at a time of record high temperatures.
Sixteen of the deaths took place in Biobío, five in La Araucanía, and one in Ñuble.
The deaths included a Bolivian pilot who died when a helicopter that was helping combat the flames crashed in La Araucanía. A Chilean mechanic also died in the crash.
A woman walks on a bridge during the fires in Renaico, Araucania region, Chile.
JAVIER TORRES via Getty Images
Over the past week, fires have burned through an area equivalent to what is usually burned in an entire year, Tohá said in a news conference.
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Ryan Honary to work with organizations to further evaluate his “AI-Driven Wireless Mesh Sensor Network for Early Detection and Growth Prediction of Environmental Hazards”
Press Release –
Dec 14, 2022
IRVINE, Calif., December 14, 2022 (Newswire.com)
– At a time when many teens are planning for the near future, 15-year-old Ryan Honary is looking further ahead. He is passionate about saving the planet, and thanks to a new partnership between his company, Sensory AI, the nonprofit Irvine Ranch Conservancy (IRC) and, most recently, the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA), he’s closer to creating a better future for humankind.
“I am grateful and excited for the opportunity to work alongside Dr. Nathan Gregory and Chief Brian Fennessy,” said Honary. “This new partnership with IRC and OCFA advances the SensoRy AI solution with the goal of protecting lives and the environment throughout California and around the globe.”
The Newport Beach teen invented an AI-driven early wildfire detection system. Utilizing a wireless mesh network of sensors and AI capable of predicting spread patterns, Honary’s low-cost network can be deployed anywhere and communicate in real-time via an app. A research grant from the U.S. Navy enabled SensoRy AI to build a team and further develop and test the technology in rugged environments. Honary was recently invited by OCFA Chief Brian Fennessy to present the SensoRy AI solution at UC San Diego’s WiFire Lab and received favorable feedback.
Honary began working with Nathan Gregory, Ph.D., Chief Conservation Officer of IRC, in 2021 to develop field applications for his concept. IRC manages 30,000 acres of fire-prone urban wildlands in Orange County. The system was field tested at IRC’s Native Seed Farm earlier this year with successful results.
“Ryan’s solution will enable us to monitor key factors that contribute to preservation and stewardship of our local wildlands. We believe this technology has applications that can potentially change conservation and land management everywhere,” said Dr. Gregory.
IRC sees such broad potential in this technology that it recently invested $250,000 of its own funds that will allow the network to be tested more broadly. In addition, Dr. Gregory will be joining the SensoRy AI Technical Advisory Board.
In November, OCFA Chief Fennessy also joined SensoRy AI as an advisor, and his team of fire-fighting professionals are assisting Ryan in further developing his platform.
“This technology has enormous potential to keep our first responders and our communities safe by helping predict, detect, and suppress wildfires,” said Fennessy.
Honary was recently selected to present his story and vision at the upcoming UNESCO Learning Planet Festival on Jan. 23-28, 2023, in Paris, France. His presentation is titled “The Future of Artificial Intelligence-Driven Environmental Solutions.” The Learning Planet Festival brings together hundreds of pioneering organizations and activists learning to take care of oneself, others and the planet.
Ryan Honary is an award-winning 15-year-old student at Stanford Online High School, who has been putting his STEM-fueled passion for people and the environment into real action for years. While not developing science-based solutions to local and global climate challenges, Honary loves playing competitive tennis and, in support of a local not-for-profit, teaching it to autistic youth; singing and shredding on guitar; and surfing in his hometown of Newport Beach, CA. Follow him on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.
Honary’s solution was originally developed in response to the devastation of the 2018 Camp Fire, including the deaths of 85 people and the destruction of over 18,000 structures at a cost of more than $16.5 billion. The invention earned him Grand Prize at the 2019 Ignite Innovation Student Challenge and established the Early Wildfire Detection Network, for which he was named the 2020 American Red Cross Disaster Services Hero for Orange County. He also earned a spot in the Top 30 Finalists at the 2020 Broadcom Masters.
In March 2020, Ryan Honary’s early wildfire detection system won the prestigious Office of Naval Research (ONR) Naval Science grant. This grant led to the formation of Sensory AI. The company has since received multiple rounds of funding from ONR for continued research and development.
About Irvine Ranch Conservancy
Irvine Ranch Conservancy is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to restore, protect, and enhance the ecological health of urban wildlands in a way that fosters compatible human behaviors and inspires connections and partnerships. The Conservancy manages and restores approximately 30,000 acres of rare wildlands in Orange County, California, in partnership with public landowners.
About Orange County Fire Authority
Orange County Fire Authority is a regional fire service agency that serves 23 cities and all unincorporated areas in Orange County. OCFA protects over 2 million residents from its 77 fire stations located throughout Orange County. OCFA, founded in 1995, is a premier public safety agency providing superior fire protection and medical emergency services to our communities.
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