Smoke from Canadian wildfires brings air quality alert, hazy conditions to NYC

David Matthews, New York Daily News on Jun 4, 2025

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NEW YORK — An air quality alert was issued for New York City, as well as parts of New York State, New Jersey and Connecticut on Wednesday in response to southern-drifting, hazy smoke from Canadian wildfires and rising ozone levels.

The smoke is coming from fires in the central Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

The National Weather Service said ground-level ozone could approach or even exceed unhealthy levels. Ozone is a pollutant that forms when sunlight hits emissions and can cause lung irritation or worsen asthma.

As of Wednesday afternoon, New York City was experiencing “moderate” air quality, but that could tip into levels that are “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” officials said.

Vulnerable people, including the very young, elderly and people with respiratory illnesses, are advised against performing strenuous activities outside during the afternoon and evening until the smoke clears.

The alert, which contradicts an earlier notice that the smoke was not likely to have much of an effect on New York City, was set to expire at 11 p.m. Wednesday. Conditions should gradually improve throughout the remainder of the week as the smoke disperses.

Along with the city, the air quality alert applies to Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester counties, as well as Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming counties upstate. Also affected are Bergen, Passaic, Hudson, Essex, Mercer, Middlesex and Union counties in New Jersey; and Fairfield, New Haven, Middlesex and Northern New London counties in Connecticut.

In June 2023, smoke from fires in Quebec was funneled directly into New York City and caused a extremely hazardous Air Quality Index of 484 — the highest ever recorded in the city.