Smoke from Canadian wildfires prompts events to move indoors

Smoke from wildfires in Canada is again impacting air quality in Western Pennsylvania and affecting how people work and play, and will continue to do so on Thursday.

The state is advising young children, the elderly and people with respiratory problems to limit outdoor activities Wednesday because of unhealthy pollution levels.

Even the Pittsburgh Pirates, scheduled for a game tonight at PNC Park, say they are keeping an eye on the air.

“We are closely monitoring the situation,” said Brian Warecki, the team’s senior vice president of communications and broadcasting.

The Pirates issued a statement later in the day, indicating the game would be played, and it started on time.

“We have been in contact with Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association, our team of expert medical providers at Allegheny Health Network, and city and county officials regarding the current and projected air quality index in our area. … We will continue to closely monitor the air quality index levels around the ballpark. Fans holding tickets to Wednesday night’s game were given a chance to exchange them for a future game.

Players pregame warmups were held indoors.

The smoke didn’t affect the the Frank B. Fuhrer Jr. Invitational at the Pittsburgh Field Club in Fox Chapel. The players were greeted with cool temperature, some fog and a light breeze.

“We knew there was a warning, but we didn’t consider postponing the event,” Tri-State PGA Director David Wright said. “The closest alert was in the Mon Valley. Our early start helped. One thing it did affect was my daughter’s field trip, which was cancelled.”

Dennis Munko of Leechburg said he saw the alert, but he didn’t smell anything different in the air.

“It didn’t affect me,” Munko said. “I didn’t think about it when I played.”

Early Wednesday, what looked like a steady haze hung in the skies and an odor of smoke filled the air in some areas. The air quality index ranged widely around the region — the index measures air pollution levels and the number rises as pollution increases.

National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Kennedy said that as of 8 p.m. Wednesday night, Downtown Pittsburgh’s air quality index was at 171, down from a high of 211 at 10 a.m. that morning.

Weather officials said communities sitting in valleys had a better reading — for example, Greensburg was at 30 on Wednesday morning — but commuters heading into Pittsburgh saw a big change once they hit the Parkway East, where the reading peaked at 167.

Is this what it looked (and smelled) like in the 1930s? pic.twitter.com/0HFDvieiOI

— Tim Benz (@TimBenzPGH) June 28, 2023

The area typically is in the index range deemed “good” — zero to 50, NWS meteorologist Lee Hendricks said. Moderate includes an index between 51 and 100, and air unhealthy for sensitive groups ranks between 101 and 150. Air that is unhealthy for everyone is between 201 and 300.

“This isn’t something that’s going to clear out, unfortunately, in 24 hours,” Hendricks said.

???? Code Red Air Quality Alert.????

When: Midnight tonight to midnight tomorrow

Where: Western Pennsylvania

Issued by the PA Department of Environmental Protection. A code red means air pollution concentrations are unhealthy for general population. pic.twitter.com/1ZYMSbCQEC

— NWS Pittsburgh (@NWSPittsburgh) June 27, 2023

The weather service issued a Code Red air quality alert for the entire state for Thursday. Code Red warns of unhealthy pollution levels for all people, the state said.

Twenty-three counties are forecast to have an average air quality in the Code Red range, among them Butler, Armstrong, Indiana, Beaver, Allegheny, Westmoreland, Washington, Greene, and Fayette, the state Department of Environmental Protection said.

Smoke due to wildfires in eastern Canada will likely contribute to daily average concentrations of fine particulate matter in the Code Red counties. Residents are encouraged to check airnow.gov for current conditions in their area.

The wildfires caused pollution problems throughout the region earlier this month.

Several outdoor events were postponed or moved indoors.

Stage AE moved a Wednesday evening indie rock performance by My Morning Jacket indoors. The show had been scheduled at the outdoor venue on the North Shore.

A Tom Keifer performance scheduled for July 1 at Mountain View Amphitheater near Harmar has been moved to Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall.

A “City in the Streets” event in Garfield was postponed to July 5 because of the air issues. It will be held 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the intersection of Penn and North Pacific avenues.

Local swimming pools also opted to keep patrons out of the smoky air. Shaler, for instance, announced the Crawford Pool was closed Wednesday.

In many areas, the pollution means a change of plans for residents’ daily lives.

Stacey Oden said she noticed a “burnt wire” smell around her New Kensington home around 6 a.m. Wednesday.

“When we get home from work I will stay in. My husband said he isn’t going to change his life over it. Our dogs like to play in the backyard after we get home from work, but we’ll probably just keep them in if the odor/air quality is concerning,” Oden said.

The Center on Franklin home school class in Vandergrift, like other area daycare and summer schools, will not be trekking over to the playground across the street from the school.

“We can’t take the children outside,” said teacher Chloe Kruse.

The children normally play outside and tend to the community garden in Franklin Park.

The state advises residents to avoid burning leaves, trash and other materials and not to mow the lawn. Flights at Pittsburgh International Airport were not being affected.

VERY UNHEALTHY AIR QUALITY. 209 in Pittsburgh means stay indoors for the next few hours until it drops. Live coverage now on Channel 11 Morning News. pic.twitter.com/MnI89q05dF

— Scott Harbaugh (@WPXIScott) June 28, 2023

The wildfires are causing air quality concerns throughout the Great Lakes region and in parts of the central and eastern United States, according to the Associated Press. Canada is seeing its worst wildfire season on record with about 29,000 square miles being affected, Reuters reported. The smoke plume has crossed the Atlantic Ocean and was likely to make for hazy skies in Europe.