In New York, air quality readings are not as bad as earlier this month, when the index was between 300 and 500 in some parts of the state. But some public health risks remain.
The air quality index in Western New York hit 125 on Thursday morning, meaning it is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, including children and people who are pregnant or have lung disease, asthma or other illnesses. in the heart. Central New York’s air quality index reading reached 189, which is considered unhealthy for all groups.
“It’s still appropriate for most people in the city to enjoy the outdoors today,” Jackie Bray, the commissioner of the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, said at the news conference. “That’s not true upstairs.”
Across Western New York, some people said they were unaffected by the smoke, while others changed their plans because of it.
Zackary Martin, 22, of Springville, NY, southeast of Buffalo, said he chose not to hike his favorite trail because of poor air quality. “It made me reevaluate my plans for the rest of the week,” he said.
And in the food court of the Walden Galleria mall, in the Buffalo suburb of Cheektowaga, Lakisha Tyson said that although she and her two children, who are 16 and 7, do not have health conditions that affect their breathing, she decided not to take them to the park.
“It’s not a good smell; it’s a poisonous smell,” said Ms. Tyson, 39, of Rochester. “You have to wear a mask.”
Jesse McKinley, Grandma Fadulu,And Bilefsky, Michael Wines, Lauren D’Avolio, Campbell Robertson, Carrie Blackmore Smith and Ida Lieszkovszky contributed reporting
