How To Check Your Air Quality In Gloucester Township

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — The smoke from wildfires in eastern Canada continued to travel into New Jersey, leaving the outdoor air unsafe throughout the state. In Gloucester Township, the air quality remained at "unhealthy" levels as of 11 a.m. Thursday after reaching the "very unhealthy" category earlier in the morning, according to environmental officials.

Vulnerable individuals — people with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and teens — should avoid strenuous outdoor activities, while all others should take significant precautions, environmental officials said. (What precautions should you take? Find more detail below.)

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection issued an Air Quality Action Day for fine particulates — a "Code Red" through the end of Thursday and a "Code Orange" for Friday. That means officials expect air quality to remain unhealthy through Thursday and remain concerning for sensitive groups the following day.

"Levels of fine particulates will remain in the unhealthy category through the daytime hours today due to the wildfire smoke from eastern Canadian wildfires," the state agency said.

The frequency, extent and severity of wildfires mark important indicators of climate change, environmental officials say. The peak of the nation's wildfire season is also occurring earlier — peaking in August from 1984-2001 and then in July from 2002-20, according to research from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

How To Monitor Your Air Quality

AirNow.gov, which reports air quality using the official U.S. Air Quality Index (AQI), has updated air-quality data from around the nation. Gloucester Township has an "unhealthy" level of air pollution that bordered on "very unhealthy" as of 11 a.m. Thursday.

Air quality alerts are triggered by several factors, including the detection of fine-particle pollution — known as "PM 2.5" — which can irritate the lungs.

Officials reported Gloucester Township at 212 on the AQI scale at 9 a.m. Thursday. While the air quality improved throughout the morning, conditions continue to rapidly evolve.

The AQI scale is as follows:

• Good/green: 0-50
• Moderate/yellow: 51-100
• Unhealthy for sensitive groups/orange: 101-150
• Unhealthy/red: 151-200
• Very unhealthy/purple: 201-300
• Hazardous/maroon: 301-500

AirNow partners with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Park Service, NASA, Centers for Disease Control, and tribal, state, and local air quality agencies.

Environmental officials anticipate air-quality issues persisting through at least Friday. But the timeline toward safer air remains difficult to predict.

Forecasters expect Gloucester Township's air pollution to fall a bit but remain at concerning levels, with anticipated AQI scores of 165 later Thursday (red, unhealthy) and 150 on Friday (orange, unhealthy for sensitive groups).

Guidance For Staying Safe

Air quality in "unhealthy" territory means that older adults, children, teens, and people with heart or lung disease should avoid strenuous outdoor activities, keep outdoor time short, and consider moving physical activities indoor or rescheduling them, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says.

The federal agency advised everyone else to choose less strenuous activities (such as walking instead of running), shorten active time outdoors, and delay such activities until the air quality improves.

Camden County officials "strongly encouraged" residents to take the following precautions Thursday to protect themselves and loved ones:

• Strongly consider canceling outdoor events and gatherings.
• Avoid going outdoors as much as possible.
• Avoid excessive activities outdoors, such as jogging or exercising.
• If you have to go outdoors, wear a high-quality mask, such as an N-95 or KN-95 mask.
• Avoid areas of high congestion and where air pollution may be high, such as main streets or highways, and areas with low air circulation.
• Close all windows and doors to minimize air pollution in your home.
• Recirculate the air in your home with fans to avoid bringing more air pollution into your home.
• Pay attention to your body. If you have trouble breathing or feel nauseous or dizzy, seek medical attention as soon as possible.

There are approximately 160 wildfires burning across Quebec, part of a wider group of more than 300 fires across the country that some are calling Canada's worst fire season ever.

Quebec's fire prevention agency has said high temperatures and dry conditions have contributed to the raging fire season.

Previous fires in Nova Scotia and Alberta have sent smoke into New Jersey, prompting air quality warnings.