Air quality alert: Smoke from Canadian wildfires will impact Massachusetts today

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection issued a statewide air quality alert due to smoke from Canadian wildfires that continue to impact New England.

The alert is effective from midnight, June 6, until midnight, June 7.

Over 100 fires are currently burning in northwestern Quebec, with dozens of additional fires in Ontario. The prevailing winds will help blow the smoke from these fires down across New England Monday night and continue to push them southeastward through Tuesday.

The smoke is expected to enter western sections of the state Monday night and to spread eastward through much of the state during the overnight and early morning hours on Tuesday, according to MassDEP officials.

Air quality is expected to be unhealthy for people with heart or lung disease, such as asthma, older adults, children, teenagers, and people who are active outdoors. People with either lung disease or heart disease are at greater risk from exposure to ozone.

MassDEP is advising that people in sensitive groups should reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion, take more breaks, do less intense activities, follow asthma action plans, and keep quick relief medicine handy.

For more information click here.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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