NHDES Declares Smoke Advisory July 14 - 15

NHDES Declares Smoke Advisory

Elevated Fine Particle Air Pollution Advisory Issued for Tuesday July 14 and Wednesday July 15

Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) is expecting concentrations of fine particle air pollution from smoke to reach levels that could cause a hazy appearance in the sky, odors and respiratory health effects for unusually sensitive individuals throughout the state Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday evening.

NHDES officials advise anyone who is unusually sensitive to air pollution to take precautions and protect their health by limiting prolonged or heavy exertion, especially outdoors. Even healthy individuals may experience mild health effects and should consider limiting strenuous or prolonged activities.

The fine particle air pollution event is the result of extensive wildfires in central and western Canada. Wind patterns are transporting waves of smoke from these fires across much of the Northeast and New Hampshire. Conditions are expected to improve on Thursday but there is some potential for high particle pollution to persist into the remainder of the week.

The severity of haze, odor and health effects increases as fine particle concentrations increase. Symptoms of fine particle exposure may include chest pain, palpitations, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing. People with asthma and other existing lung diseases may not be able to breathe as deeply or vigorously as normal and may experience symptoms such as coughing and shortness of breath.

For further information, call NHDES at (603) 271-1370. For air quality forecasts and current air pollution levels in New Hampshire, call 1-800-935-SMOG or visit the NHDES website at https://www4.des.state.nh.us/airdata/.