It’s a different world from 24 hours ago. Crystal clear air over Beaver on Tuesday turned into a blanket of haze on Wednesday.
Travis Griffith from Beaver Falls described it as “a burning in your nose and throat.”
From all corners of the county, the Canadian wildfire smoke laid a blanket of haze.
“I’ve heard about it, but I’ve never seen it, smelled it. It’s bad today,” Griffith said.
According to doctors, most people are not going to be impacted by the air quality. Some sensitive groups including children, older people and people with respiratory concerns had to take caution.
“Even then, it would usually take more than a passing exposure outside. Just avoid prolonged contact or heavy work outside if you’re in that group,” UPMC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Donald Yealy said.
Air advocates say today should be a wake-up call to address the root cause of why we are seeing an air quality issue. They fear this is not going to be the last time we have a problem like this.
“We can expect wildfires to continue in their severity as well as frequency due to climate change, due to the burning of fossil fuels,” Group Against Smog and Pollution Executive Director Patrick Campbell said.
There were points where parts of Beaver County reached the purple air quality level, which is considered very unhealthy to everyone.
“It can actually get even worse than this if we don’t change where we’re headed,” Breathe Project Executive Director Matthew Mehalik said over Zoom.
There have been some questions about wearing masks like during the pandemic. Doctors say they can be used if you want one. They recommend not using a homemade one for this.
“It’s not a yes or no issue. It’s how much protection. I would stay away from the homemade. Stick with the professional and if you can, get a N95. It’s the best choice,” Dr. Yealy said.
While we still have this air lingering, it’s recommended you use the AC in your house and recirculate the air in your car.