New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and State Department of Health (DOH) have issued an Air Quality Health Advisory for Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025, in Northern and Western New York, including the Eastern Lake Ontario region and the Adirondacks, due to the impact of smoke from Canadian wildfires.
In these regions, there is the potential for visible smoke and hazy skies and New Yorkers may see temporary spikes in smoke-related pollution. The Fire Smoke Forecast calls for the most intensive time to be around 11 am Sunday.
DEC and DOH issue Air Quality Health Advisories when DEC meteorologists predict levels of pollution, either ozone or fine particulate matter (PM2.5), are expected to exceed an Air Quality Index (AQI) value of 100.
The AQI was created as an easy way to correlate levels of different pollutants to one scale, with a higher AQI value indicating a greater health concern.
Fine particulate matter (PM) consists of tiny solid particles or liquid droplets in the air that are 2.5 microns or less in diameter. PM 2.5 can be made of many different types of particles and often come from processes that involve combustion (e.g., vehicle exhaust, power plants, and fires) and from chemical reactions in the atmosphere.
Exposure can cause short-term health effects, such as irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat, coughing, sneezing, runny nose, and shortness of breath. Exposure to elevated levels of fine particulate matter can also worsen medical conditions such as asthma and heart disease. People with heart or breathing problems, and children and the elderly may be particularly sensitive to PM 2.5.
When outdoor levels are elevated, going indoors may reduce exposure. If there are significant indoor sources of PM 2.5 (tobacco, candle or incense smoke, or fumes from cooking) levels inside may not be lower than outside. Some ways to reduce exposure are to minimize outdoor and indoor sources and avoid strenuous activities in areas where fine particle concentrations are high. Additional information on ozone and PM 2.5 is available on DEC’s website and on DOH’s website.
Illustration: Smoke Forecast for 11 am August 3, 2025 courtesy FireSmoke Canada.
Read more about air quality in New York State.
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