Gym, Recess Indoors In Long Valley Schools Due To Bad Air Quality

LONG VALLEY, NJ — A code orange Air Quality Alert remains effective in Morris County through Thursday due to the smoke from the Canadian wildfires, officials said.

As a result, air quality concerns have prompted Washington Township Public Schools to move gym and recess indoors for Thursday, Superintendent Peter Turnamian told the community.

"Our district continues to work closely with the Department of Health and Executive County Superintendent of Schools to monitor the health and well-being of our school community," Turnamian said.

On Thursday, the schools will be open for a full day of classes. However, they will continue to keep students inside for all activities, including recess and physical education, out of an abundance of caution.

The Canadian wildfires are producing hazy, smokey, and faintly burning conditions.

An Air Quality Action Day for Particulate Matter was declared on Wednesday and Thursday by the state Department of Environmental Protection.

According to the National Weather Service, a code orange air quality alert indicates that the region's air pollution concentrations could become unhealthy for vulnerable populations.

Children, seniors, and those with lung, heart, or other diseases are among these vulnerable populations.

"Levels of fine particulates will rise into the unhealthy for sensitive groups category statewide on Wednesday and potentially extend into the evening hours due to wildfire smoke transport from eastern Canadian wildfires," the NJDEP stated.

All state air quality monitors, save for one in the Delaware Water Gap, registered "very unhealthy" air over 200 AQI Thursday morning, according to AirNow.gov. The Delaware Water Gap monitor registered 169 AQI, meeting the criteria for "unhealthy" air.

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.