Wildfire Smoke from New Jersey Envelops New York City

A significant wildfire burning in New Jersey's Pine Barrens is affecting New York City's air quality, posing health risks for certain individuals.

Impact of the Smoke

The New York metropolitan area faced an air quality notice on Thursday morning due to smoke traveling north from a large wildfire in New Jersey, one of the biggest in twenty years.

Since igniting on Tuesday in Ocean County, the wildfire has expanded to over 13,000 acres, predominantly within the densely wooded Pine Barrens. Earlier in the week, the situation led to the evacuation of many residents in Ocean and Lacey Townships, as reported by the state's Forest Fire Service.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, smoke spread across a significant part of New Jersey, creating air quality alerts due to potential respiratory irritations.

By Thursday, the smoke had crossed into northern areas, leading to an air quality advisory for the day affecting New York City and surrounding counties, including the Bronx, Queens, and others. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation indicated that the air quality index could surpass 100, a level dangerous for individuals with respiratory conditions such as asthma.

Early Thursday, the New York City area's air quality index was at 83, with Long Island at 33. Newark showed a reading of 80 and Philadelphia 77.

As the day progressed, southwesterly winds were positioned to carry more smoke towards Long Island.