Fire of Known Origin

Poor air quality resultant of smoke and haze secondary to a series of Canadian wildfires compelled the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, on 08 June 2023, to issue a second ground stop for flights bound for New York’s LaGuardia airport (LGA).

The FAA tweeted: “Reduced visibility from wildfire smoke will continue to impact air travel today.”

The agency further stated it had: “paused flights destined for LGA from the Northeast, Ohio, and Mid-Atlantic.

On 07 June, the FAA issued a similar order for LGA and slowed the flow of air-traffic bound for Newark (EWR) and Philadelphia (PHL) on account of limited visibility attributable to the Canadian fires.

The agency further warned on 08 June that smoke deriving of the ongoing fires could impact travel from New York to North Carolina’s Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). The FAA lists New York’s three major airports (JFK, LGA, EWR), Philadelphia (PHL), the three Washington D.C. airports (DCA, IAD, BWI), and Charlotte (CLT) as all having the possibility of a ground stop or delays throughout the coming days.

According to online flight-tracking services, U.S. airlines, since the onset of the Canadian wildfires, have delayed upwards of 743 flights and canceled another 55. Hardest hit by the poor visibility and hazy sky-conditions were JFK and EWR—with 27 and 13 delays respectively.

U.S. National Weather Service meteorologist Bryan Ramsey opined the smog and the air-traffic snarl resultant of the fires will “probably be hanging around at least for the next few days,”

Mr. Ramsey added: “Conditions are likely to remain unhealthy, at least until the wind direction changes or the fires get put out. Since the fires are raging—they’re really large—they’re probably going to continue for weeks. But it’s really just going to be all about the wind shift.”

Currently, more than four-hundred blazes are burning across Canada’s woodlands, spreading plumes of smoke across the northeastern U.S. and beyond. Most states in the affected region have extended their Code Red air quality alerts as prevailing winds continue to push smoke south.

In New York, residents have been urged to remain indoors as much as possible—a sound policy under any circumstances in 2023’s Big Apple.

FMI: www.noaa.gov