Smoke from the Jones Road wildfire in New Jersey was slated to swath New York City skies on Thursday, prompting air quality advisories for the metropolitan area and Long Island, health and environment officials said Wednesday.
The state health and environmental conservation departments issued an air quality health advisory for fine particulate matter “due to the potential impact of smoke from wildfires in New Jersey,” Acting New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton and State Department of Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said in a statement.
Such advisories are triggered when the Air Quality Index is expected to exceed 100, state officials said.
The advisory will last from 12 a.m. through 11:59 p.m. Thursday for the New York City metro area, which also includes Rockland and Westchester counties, and extends to Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island.
City officials amplified the advisory with a New York City air quality alert of its own.
“Young children, older adults and people with heart or breathing conditions should avoid strenuous and prolonged outdoor activities,” the New York City Department of Health said on X.
An AQI above 100 is still okay for healthy people, the city said, though with a caveat.
“If your eyes are watering, your throat is sore, you have a headache, or you are out of breath or coughing during outdoor activities, take a break and go indoors,” the city health department added.
The fires engulfing the Pine Barrons of New Jersey and closing down portions of the Garden State Parkway had hit 12,500 acres by Wednesday afternoon and was expected to grow, officials said. Thousands of people have been evacuated, and a state of emergency was in effect, with the fire 40% contained.
With News Wire Services
