Philadelphia skies were covered in a thick haze during the day on Sunday due to shifting winds from wildfires in southern New Jersey.
From 10 p.m. on Saturday to 1 p.m. on Sunday, the PM2.5 index in the Philadelphia region indicated air quality index values ranging from moderate to very unhealthy, with a high AQI rating of 231 at 10 a.m. on Sunday in South Philadelphia.
In the Spruce Hill and Rittenhouse areas, the air quality was listed at an unhealthy level from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Sunday, with an AQI high of 158.
This poses a risk for people with vulnerable health conditions, heart and lung issues, older adults, and children. The city advised people in sensitive groups to take precautions and spend less time outdoors.
New Jersey has seen an uncharacteristically high number of wildfires this year due to an ongoing “severe” drought and a record number of days without rainfall.
New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection has placed every county in the state under an extreme fire danger notice, and thousands of acres of land across the state have been affected by the current fires.
As of Friday, a massive wildfire in Glassboro, N.J. had consumed 133 acres, but was 75% contained. As of Sunday afternoon, firefighters continue to battle nine wildfires that remain uncontained and burning rapidly.
The arrival of rain on Sunday evening — the first rainfall in over 40 days — will help to put an end to the dry spell that has contributed to the fires. The rainfall is expected to help improve both the hazy conditions and the fires themselves.
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