Smoky haze from Canadian wildfires expected to linger over Western Pa. for rest of the week

Young children and those with respiratory ailments are being urged to stay indoors for a second straight day as smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to shroud Pittsburgh in a fog-like haze.

A Code Red air quality alert for fine particulates was issued Thursday for 13 Western Pennsylvania counties by the National Weather Service in Moon.

The alert, which runs through midnight, was issued because air pollution concentrations in the region are unhealthful for the general population.

Authorities have advised people to stay indoors to exercise or avoid strenuous activity while outside.

The smoke is anticipated to impact Pennsylvania for the rest of the week, with the worst conditions being in the morning. Some relief is possible on Saturday, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Local and state agencies warned that sensitive groups including children, senior citizens and others with respiratory issues should avoid outdoor activities. The general public should reduce long or intense outdoor activities and take more breaks.

Hazy day

Golf balls were propelled hundreds of yards into smoky, polluted air Wednesday at Hannastown Golf Club.

The tree-lined Hempfield course didn’t see much impact on business.

“The majority of our guys have decided to keep on playing,” said Craig Mankins, golf professional and general manager.

Meanwhile, Daniel Andre of West Mifflin wore a mask while setting up his booth for the Westmoreland Arts and Heritage Festival, scheduled to begin Thursday, at Twin Lakes Park east of Greensburg.

Andre, who sells chain mail and jewelry, was concerned as soon as he stepped outside his home and saw the hazy conditions. The air, he said, “just didn’t smell right.”

“I thought I would mask up and be safe,” he said. “I’m going to be 59 years old, and I’m trying to watch myself.”

A fog-like haze crept into Western Pennsylvania overnight as most people slept, leaving the sun obscured for much of Wednesday and prompting bewildered residents to post photographs of the smoky landscapes to social media.

Paige Spisso of New Alexandria said her family would’ve stayed home, but she didn’t want her 4-year-old son to miss a swimming lesson at Veterans’ Memorial Pool in Greensburg.

“We try to stay inside and have the air purifiers running,” she said.

Children at the Center on Franklin home-school class in Vandergrift had to nix outdoor play and tending to the community garden nearby.

“We can’t take the children outside,” teacher Chloe Kruse said.

Others took the smoke in stride.

The smoke didn’t affect the the Frank B. Fuhrer Jr. Invitational at the Pittsburgh Field Club in Fox Chapel. The players were greeted with cool temperature, some fog and a light breeze.

“We knew there was a warning, but we didn’t consider postponing the event,” Tri-State PGA Director David Wright said. “The closest alert was in the Mon Valley. Our early start helped. One thing it did affect was my daughter’s field trip, which was cancelled.”

Dennis Munko of Leechburg said he saw the alert, but he didn’t smell anything different in the air.

“It didn’t affect me,” Munko said. “I didn’t think about it when I played.”

Quality of the air

The air quality index seemed to be pretty consistent around the region by midday Wednesday — the index measures air pollution levels and the number rises as pollution increases. In Greensburg, Pittsburgh and Tarentum, the index hovered just below 200 at midday — the top of the unhealthy range, meaning the general public may experience some health effects, according to airnow.gov.

National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Kennedy said that as of 8 p.m. Wednesday, Downtown Pittsburgh’s air quality index was at 171, down from a high of 211 at 10 a.m. that morning.

The area typically is in the index range deemed “good” — zero to 50, said Lee Hendricks, meteorologist at the National Weather Service. Moderate includes an index between 51 and 100, and air unhealthy for sensitive groups ranks between 101 and 150. Unhealthy air that would cause health effects for everyone is between 201 and 300.

“This isn’t something that’s going to clear out, unfortunately, in 24 hours,” Hendricks said.

Canada is seeing its worst wildfire season on record with about 29,000 square miles being affected, Reuters reported. The ongoing wildfires caused pollution problems locally and elsewhere earlier this month. The problems returned Wednesday throughout the Great Lakes region and in parts of the central and eastern United States, according to The Associated Press.

The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center Inc. reported on an interactive map that there were 480 active fires as of Wednesday afternoon, 239 of which were out of control.

For some, the smoky conditions resembled fog at first. Until they got a whiff.

Stacey Oden said she noticed a “burnt wire” smell around her New Kensington home early Wednesday.

“Our dogs like to play in the backyard after we get home from work, but we’ll probably just keep them in if the odor/air quality is concerning,” she said.

Outdoor activities around the area were postponed or moved to a different location.

Stage AE moved a Wednesday evening performance by My Morning Jacket indoors and a Tom Keifer performance scheduled for July 1 at Mountain View Amphitheater near Harmar was moved to Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall.

A “City in the Streets” event in Garfield was postponed to July 5. Wheeling Island Hotel Casino Racetrack canceled races.

Geoff Rabinowitz, environmental health deputy director for the Allegheny County Health Department, said the agency doesn’t have any regulations that limit outdoor activities when air quality is an issue.

“The hosting of outdoor activities, such as concerts, festivals and sporting events, during poor days are up to the discretion of the event organizers,” he said.

The department provides up-to-date information about air quality at its online dashboard to help residents make decisions about participating in outdoor activities based on their own health, Rabinowitz said.

Unavoidable situations

For people who work outside, it was inescapable.

PennDOT reviewed work schedules in District 12, which covers Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties, to limit employees’ exposure. Workers performed activities inside enclosed equipment or a building, spokeswoman Melissa Maczko said.

“Hopefully this will only last a few days and operations will be back to normal early next week,” she said.

Crews were still working without an issue at Creekside Landscape Supply in Southwest Greensburg, but there was a noticeable difference in the atmosphere, owner Bill Reese said. He didn’t give closing up the shop a thought.

“It’s just hard to believe that the smoke has traveled this far,” he said.

Greensburg public works crew member Jeff Heater said he’s used to a different odor — asphalt.

“It’s just a normal working day,” he said while paving an alley off Harrison Avenue with crew members.

Gary Negley of Tarentum didn’t let the smoky haze affect his daily routine. His gym had open doors welcoming patrons on Fourth Avenue.

“I haven’t had any issues, and I’m not worried about it,” he said.

Neither was landscaper Mark Barkowski, who used a leaf blower to clean a sidewalk in Harrison.

“I’ve been doing this for 40 years,” he said. “You just have to bear with it and go.”

Staff writers Dinari Clacks, Haley Daugherty, Kevin Gorman, Tony LaRussa, Paul Schofield, Joyce Hanz and Jeff Himler contributed to this report. Renatta Signorini is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Renatta at rsignorini@triblive.com or via Twitter @byrenatta.