The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the state Department of Health issued an air quality warning for several regions – Long Island, the New York metropolitan area, the lower and upper Hudson Valley, and the Adirondack Mountains – on Friday, 26 July.
The cause was smoke from large-scale wildfires that are ongoing in Canada.
Residents of these regions are advised to limit outdoor activities, especially for people with respiratory problems, the elderly and children.
Earlier, former President of the United States Joe Biden declared a natural disaster regime in the state of California due to large-scale fires. The fires have left at least 16 people dead in the US.
Despite the efforts of rescuers, including sorties of air crews, the fire continued to spread.