PENNSYLVANIA — Much of Pennsylvania is under a Code Purple Air Quality Alert today as thick wildfire smoke continues to move into the region, creating unhealthy conditions across the state, including the Lehigh Valley and Bucks County.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued the alert for elevated levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), caused by smoke from large wildfires burning in Canada. The smoke has produced hazy skies, reduced visibility, and significantly deteriorated air quality throughout the Commonwealth.
Residents in Lehigh, Northampton, Bucks, Montgomery, Berks, Chester, Delaware, Philadelphia, and surrounding counties are among those experiencing the greatest impacts. Air quality readings are expected to remain in the unhealthy range through much of Friday before gradually improving as weather conditions change.
A Code Purple is the highest level of Pennsylvania’s air quality alert system and indicates that air pollution has reached concentrations considered unhealthy for everyone, not just those with underlying medical conditions.
Health officials are encouraging residents to:
- Limit prolonged or strenuous outdoor activity.
- Keep windows and doors closed whenever possible.
- Use air conditioning or air purifiers if available.
- Children, older adults, pregnant women, and individuals with asthma, COPD, heart disease, or other respiratory conditions should remain indoors as much as possible.
- Anyone who must spend extended periods outside should consider wearing a properly fitted N95 or KN95 mask.
The smoky conditions are also expected to produce reduced visibility in some areas, particularly during the morning and evening hours.
Forecasters expect air quality to gradually improve later today into Saturday as winds shift and cleaner air begins moving back into Pennsylvania. However, some lingering haze may persist into the weekend.
Residents are encouraged to monitor local air quality conditions and reduce outdoor exposure until the alert has been lifted.
