NYC Wildfire: July 4 Plans Could Be Smoked Out, Gov Warns

12:44 p.m.

NEW YORK CITY — New Yorkers' July 4 holiday plans could be smoked out — and not by too many fireworks.

Gov. Kathy Hochul raised the specter Thursday that wildfire smoke from Canada could linger into next week, long enough to impact Independence Day activities.

Forecasters so far see no end in sight to the hazardous haze, in part because predicting smoke patterns is inherently difficult, Hochul said.

"It is impossible for us to predict what will happen for the holiday celebrations on Monday and Tuesday the Fourth," she said.

"But, again, we’re asking people to be very, very vigilant before you plan your outdoor activities: know what the numbers are, know the precautions you can take, because otherwise it may seriously have an effect on you."

Whether the smoke will impact the Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks and Coney Island's planned pyrotechnic display — both planned for July 4 itself — is an open question.

Organizers didn't return Patch's request for comment on whether smoke could impact the shows.

A chance of showers and thunderstorms Monday and Tuesday next week could rain on holiday plans, but also cut down on smoke, said Joe Pollina, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's New York office.

But Pollina, when he spoke with a Patch reporter Wednesday, stressed it'll be too early to predict smoke patterns until right before the holiday.

"We're only talking about a day-to-day forecast," he said.

New York City's air quality index briefly reached above 100 Thursday, a level considered "unhealthy for sensitive groups."

Most city dwellers can still safely go outside at that level, said Jackie Bray, the state's homeland security commissioner. But that's not the case upstate, where the air quality index is above 150 and considered "hazardous" for everyone, she noted.

Hochul said state officials going forward will send out phone alerts if an area's air quality index stays at 200 or above for an hour or more.

And fireworks themselves could bring a drastic dip in air quality, even without wildfire smoke, according to a Fox Weather report. People going to fireworks should not sit downwind of where they're launched, the report states.

For now, New Yorkers should continue to monitor the smoky conditions, Hochul said.

"Air quality is unhealthy in every corner of the state of New York," she said. "Wildfires more than 500 miles away continue to burn and we’re feeling the impact right here in real time."

9:55 a.m.

NEW YORK CITY — New York City's air quality officially reached unhealthy levels for many people Thursday morning as plumes of Canadian wildfire smoke yet again choked the city's skies.

The city's air quality index stood at 116 as of 9:30 a.m., firmly within the "unhealthy for sensitive groups" level, according to airnow.gov.

Children, teens, older adults and people with heart or lung disease are encouraged to stay inside or limit their outdoor activities, officials said.

And the unhealthy smoke is likely to linger into Friday, state officials warned.

"With elevated air pollution levels now predicted across the state, New Yorkers should remain aware of their local air quality and take necessary precautions like staying inside, reducing exposure, minimizing exertion when outdoors, and consider using an N95 mask while these unhealthy conditions persist," said James McDonald, the state's health commissioner, in a statement.

New York state, including the city, is under an air quality alert Thursday that lasts until midnight.

Widespread haze is in the city's forecast all day Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

Breathing wildfire smoke can lead to adverse health effects, especially for pregnant women, experts with the Lung Institute warned.

"Smoke is incredibly dangerous for pregnant women as their lungs usually have limited capacity due to their growing bellies," reads a statement from the Institute.

Beyond staying indoors and wearing N95 or KN95 masks, experts with the Lung Institute encouraged at-risk people — who include those of low socio-economic status — to use an air purifier.

People can make their own "DIY" air purifiers in two ways, according to the Lung Institute. Here are the institute's instructions:

• To create a filter plus fan, all they need is a 20-by-20-inch box fan, a HEPA or other high-quality filter of the same size, and duct tape. Before they start, they need to make sure that the fan isn’t plugged in and turn the knob to the highest setting. The filter should cover the switch. Then, they need to place the filter on the front of the fan and hold it in place using duct tape. Once done, they can place their DIY filter in their desired room. Turning the fan on and off should be done at the plug to ensure the filter isn’t disrupted. This DIY filter is essentially a filter taped to a fan. Despite its practicality and ease of creation, it’s proven to be an effective alternative for air purifiers. `

• The second type is a box fan or the Corsi-Rosenthal box, which involves using two filters to reduce stress on the motor and increase surface area. All they need for this is a 20-by-20-inch box fan, two HEPA or other high-quality filters of the same size, cardboard, duct tape, and a utility knife. To do this, they need to start by taking the filters out of the box and preserving the cardboard. Then, take these two fillers and stack them on top of the other with the black carbon sides facing each other. Then, they need to tape these filters together on one side, so there’s a hinge when opened. Then, they need to lay the box fan face down on a flat surface and place the filters on top of it so the two non-taped ends meet the fan’s edges. Tape these ends together. Once attached, they’ll see a triangular empty space. This empty space is where they’ll attach the cardboard. To attach this part, they need to place the cardboard on the top and bottom of the filters and mark the spot where the cupboard meets the box fan and the filters. Once marked, they can cut the cardboard and attach it to the box fan and filters using duct tape. From there, they can seal any gaps in the fan using extra tape.