Halifax gets haze, but skirts wildfire’s worst



Smog from Canadian wildlifes has led to unusual coloring with sunsets in Virginia. (Virginia DEQ photo)

Canadian wildfires are sending massive amounts of smoke down the East Coast, blanketing portions of Virginia in air rated as “unhealthy” by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.

The worst-hit areas of the Commonwealth lie well to the north and east of Halifax County, which has been only moderately affected by the hazy smog. But the Canadian wildfire outbreak has colored the skies overhead in a grayish-white tinge that is far from the pre-summer norm.

“It’s obviously affecting [the air]. You can see how hazy and smoky it is,” said Dan Salkovitz, a DEQ meteorologist. “We’ve had some exceptionally high ratings in parts of the state. We are getting the plumes of smoke; they are adversely affecting the air quality.”

DEQ monitors air pollution throughout the state. In red zone areas, ground level ozone and particle pollution create health issues for some people. In the areas classified as “Unhealthy”, persons with respiratory or heart disease as well as the elderly and children are considered most at risk.

With smoke spreading to nearly all of the eastern United States, DEQ is advising citizens to stay indoors as much as possible. While Halifax County is not part of DEQ’s map of severely affected areas, citizens are still advised to take precautions and reduce outdoor activities for the time being.

“We have made recommendations for folks to limit or avoid outdoor activities. People with asthma and heart ailments should reduce any strenuous outdoor activities and take it easy,” Salkovitz said.

South Boston Fire Chief Steve Phillips, a knowledgeable source on the effects of smoke inhalation, said the words of caution are well-placed.

“Most of the time, if it’s a clear day [the smoke] will dissipate, but you’re breathing in smoke. A lot of people have health issues, it can affect them. I know it’s worse more towards the northern part of the country, but it does affect the air quality if you’ve got the windows open,” he said.

The smoke from the wildfires is expected to permeate the air for at least the next several days, said Salkovitz. “It basically comes down to when the wind will shift and it looks like the earliest it’ll happen is this weekend, but we’re going to have to put up with this for a few more days.”

In the meantime, persons with health issues are advised to take precautionary measures to protect indoor air quality, such as keeping windows closed and using air purifiers in the home. Salkovitz further noted that air monitors could be useful to check for harmful pollution.

“If you’re able to have your house closed up, that would keep some of [the air pollution] closed out. Just closing off your house as much as you can so it doesn’t get into your house, keeping windows down and doors shut, that would help some,” Phillips said.

The DEQ air quality forecast will be updated daily by 3 p.m. For more information about air quality in the Commonwealth of Virginia, visit www.deq.virginia.gov.

According to the DEQ air quality forecast, areas such as Hampton Roads and Richmond are currently classified as “Unhealthy” code red as of Thursday. Other areas in the northern part of the state like Roanoke and Winchester are under code orange.

 

 

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