No End In Sight To 'Unprecedented' NYC Wildfire Smoke, Officials Say

Updated 10:47 a.m.

NEW YORK CITY — Wildfire smoke from Canada could linger over New York City for days as officials urged all city dwellers to limit their time outdoors.

“This is an unprecedented event in our city and New Yorkers must take precautions,” Mayor Eric Adams said Wednesday in a wide-ranging briefing over the smoke.

All five boroughs are under a state air quality health advisory, officials said.

City officials have canceled after-school events for public school children, in addition to their outdoor activities.

"All New Yorkers should limit outdoor activity to the greatest extent possible," Adams said.

"This is not the day to train for a marathon or to do an outside event with your children."

Conditions likely will improve later Wednesday and into the next morning, before deteriorating again Thursday afternoon, Adams said.

Unhealthy smoke likely will blanket the city for several days, and officials expect that advisory will remain in place for at least as long, said Zach Iscol, the city's emergency management commissioner.

But smoke is notoriously difficult to forecast, Iscol said, and he warned that New Yorkers could see air quality rapidly deteriorate as it did Tuesday evening.

New Yorkers almost watched — and smelled — in real time as air quality eroded Tuesday. By late evening, the air quality index reached 218.

A level above 100 is considered unhealthy.

The city's air quality during that span became the second-worst in the world, forecasters said.

Ashwin Vasan, the city's health commissioner, said it also reached an historic low.

"For a time, yesterday was the worst air quality in New York City since the 1960s," he said.

Iscol also warned that New York City could also see similar wildfire smoke events.

He noted that Canada's wildfire season usually peaks in July.

"This is something that we can continue to see possibly over the next few months," he said.

Iscol said New Yorkers could see potential improvements to the air starting Friday.

"But, again, difficult to forecast," he said.

9:42 a.m.

New Yorkers remain under a blanket of unhealthy wildfire smoke almost everywhere they lay their eyes — and nose.

"I smell smoke," one tweeted, speaking for thousands of city dwellers Tuesday into Wednesday.

"NYC is on fire."

New York City's air quality was the second-worst in the world Tuesday as smoke from wildfires in Canada blew over the boroughs, CNN reported. The air quality index hit 218 late Tuesday, forecasters said.

The city remains under an air quality alert Wednesday that warns of unhealthy affects, according to the National Weather Service.

Wednesday is projected to bring the worst air quality conditions for the city, AccuWeather reported.

The air is so bad that Mayor Eric Adams plans a public briefing at 10 a.m.

"We recommend all New Yorkers limit outdoor activity to the greatest extent possible," he said in a statement.

Public schools remain open, but will not offer outdoor activities, officials said.