The City of Philadelphia is under a Code Red Air Quality Alert as smoke from wildfires in Canada continues to drift into the region, creating unhealthy air conditions for residents, city officials announced Thursday.
A Code Red Air Quality Alert means that the air is unhealthy to breathe, and some people may experience health effects. Members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects, officials warn.
Air quality may vary throughout the city and throughout the day, with some areas having significantly worse air quality depending on the prevailing winds.
Health officials expect conditions to improve beginning Friday, though forecasts could change. Residents are encouraged to monitor local news, city social media channels and the ReadyPhiladelphia emergency notification system for updates.
City officials said all municipal services are operating normally. Outdoor city employees, including crews responding to severe storm damage this week, are being advised to take more frequent breaks and consider wearing protective masks.
The Health Department urged residents to seek immediate medical attention if they experience symptoms such as difficulty breathing, heart palpitations, nausea or dizziness.
To improve indoor air quality, officials recommend keeping windows and doors closed, setting air conditioners to recirculate mode and avoiding activities that generate indoor air pollution, including smoking, vaping, burning candles or incense, frying food and using wood-burning stoves. Residents without air conditioning should seek out air-conditioned locations.
Residents can monitor current air quality conditions through the city's Breathe Philly air quality monitoring network. The Health Department and the Office of Emergency Management said they will continue monitoring conditions and provide updates as needed.
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