The Canadian wildfires are once again impacting Connecticut’s air quality, just in time for the holiday weekend. Around the state Friday, the air quality index was between 100 and 150, which is categorized as “unhealthy.”
At the Rocky Neck State Park beach, there was a heavy haze hanging over the ocean. Still, there are thousands of people getting a head start on the holiday weekend, packing the beach despite the smoky conditions.
“It’s kind of scary that this is our air quality now,” said Kena Kinyua of Glastonbury.
Kinyua and her sister Myra were among those at the beach Friday, noticing the limited visibility and thick air.
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“It was pretty cloudy today and I was coughing a little bit,” said Myra Kinyua. “I wasn’t really sure why until my mom told me about the air quality.”
Kierra Parlagreco says she’s not sensitive to the smoke, but knows others who are.
“I have a neighbor, who, two weeks ago, she couldn’t leave her house without a mask on. She just couldn’t breathe at all,” Parlagreco said.
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Those we spoke with near the shoreline were taking notice of the diminished air quality. The Old Saybrook Parks and Recreation Department is monitoring the situation after being disrupted by the smoke earlier this month.
Before the holiday weekend, campers there cooled down while playing on a waterslide. Activities were close to normal but limited.
“We limited their time out on the playground. Down to about 30 minutes because they would normally be out there for an hour,” said Jona Paradise, assistant director of Old Saybrook Parks and Rec.
Yale New Haven Health’s Dr. Geoffrey Chupp says that after the smoke exposure earlier this month, there was an increased number of calls to Yale’s pulmonary center and emergency room. He expects this wave of poor air quality could also affect some people.
According to Chupp, spending extended periods of time outside with this air quality could be comparable to smoking a half-dozen cigarettes.
“The smoke is down in the lower part of your lung and that’s the same as cigarette smoke,” Chupp said, explaining that it could cause lung inflammation and irritation.
Chupp said the current air quality is unlikely to have long-term health effects, and symptoms people may be experiencing should decrease once exposure to the smoke goes away. In the meantime, people who are sensitive to the smoke, especially those with respiratory conditions, should limit outside activity.
“I think it’s prudent for people to be careful and keep an eye on themselves and be sure to call their physician if things get worse,” he said.
Chupp advises anyone sensitive to the smoke to wear a mask and if they use an in haler, make sure it is available.
For the most up-to-date information on the current air quality, click here.
