Bangkok: Thick smoke from raging wildfires across Canada has drifted over Washington, D.C., turning the sky gray and obscuring views of major landmarks in the capital. Air quality has also deteriorated significantly, prompting public health officials to issue warnings urging residents to stay indoors.
According to Thai News Agency, the haze is the latest plume of smoke to drift down from southern Canada, which has been grappling with massive wildfires for weeks across several regions. On Friday, air quality in the Washington area plummeted to "extremely hazardous to health," the second-highest of five levels, prompting authorities to issue a purple air quality health alert covering the entire area.
Looking from a high vantage point in northern Virginia, about 10 kilometers from Washington, thick smoke could be seen covering the entire capital area, drastically reducing visibility and making it impossible to see local landmarks.
The transboundary wildfires have increased the concentration of particulate matter (PM2.5), one of the most harmful pollutants to human health, along with other toxins in affected U.S. areas. Local public health experts issued an urgent alert Friday morning, urging residents to stay indoors, keep windows tightly closed, and avoid unnecessary travel. Those who needed to go outside were strongly advised to wear masks capable of filtering PM2.5. This air quality crisis has resulted in a significant reduction in traffic and outdoor activities in the area, while construction sites have adjusted their work schedules to cope with the hazardous weather conditions.