Experts Advise Caution As Air Quality Changes

Though the National Weather Service has predicted a change in weather patterns dispersing visible smoke, air quality levels throughout much of West Virginia are still affected by Canadian wildfire smoke.

“We know that wildfires, unfortunately, are worse this year than they have ever been in Canada, earlier in the season, and the result of those wildfires is a lot of smoke, which is dependent on winds and other weather conditions,” said Albert Rizzo, chief medical officer at the American Lung Association.

Rizzo said high-risk groups should avoid spending time outdoors over the holiday weekend and keep their emergency medication with them.

“Everybody wants to be with their family, they want to participate in the events over the weekend,” Rizzo said. “But I think you need to be aware of the air quality. And certainly, if it’s up in the area where everybody gets affected, everybody needs to take those precautions with masks and try to minimize their exposure outside.”

Like the weather, air quality can change from hour to hour and Rizzo recommends checking AirNow.gov and the fire and smoke map before going outside

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Charleston Area Medical Center and Marshall Health.