Air Quality Returns To Green Good After Light Rain Overnight In Hudson Valley

After last night’s rain in Beacon and elsewhere, the air quality for the Lower and Upper Hudson Valley regions is Good, according to the Air Quality Index (AQI) of New York State.

By Sunday night, the Times Union reported that The Whitehouse fire in Ulster County in the Town of Denning burned across 600 acres (there are 640 acres in a mile) and that 90% of the fire had been contained.

It took the work of 139 firefighters from 18 different fire companies and forest rangers to contain, the Times Union reported.

Beacon's Mayor Issues A State Of Emergency and Extends Burn Ban Until Further Notice

The day after Halloween, which in Beacon means the air is filled with the comforting smell of a warm fire from driveway or backyard fire pits, Mayor Lee Kyriacou issued a burn ban to protect dry yards and the area from catching fire due to the dry and windy conditions. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar issued a Drought Watch for downstate New York, as wildfires burn around the region.

The City's robo-system contacted subscribers saying: "Due to the extended dry weather and high risk of fire, the Mayor has issued an executive order, effective November 1st, banning all outdoor fires, including campfires. For more information and a copy of the executive order, please visit beaconny.gov. The order will be in effect until November 6th, at which time it may be extended, if necessary. Thank you for your cooperation."

On November 8th, the City of Beacon published a Proclamation issuing an Emergency Order under the November 1st 2024 State of Emergency, explaining the reason for the order. The Mayor stated: "I declared a State of Emergency in the City of Beacon due to extreme drought conditions, wind and an areawide increase of wildfires which threaten the public health, safety and welfare of our citizens and private property."

On November 8th, the City sated in that Proclamation that the Executive Order will remain in effect until it expires, is rescinded or further extended. After the initial Emergency Order was issued, the City announced that the order would be evaluated and extended: “The City of Beacon is extending the ban on all outdoor burning until further notice. The Emergency Order has been reissued and will be renewed every 5 days as required until the risk of fire decreases.”

The City of Beacon also published an Air Quality advisory chart, which stated that on Sunday, November 10th, the air quality in the Lower Hudson Valley region was ranked “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups,” which includes a warning of “fine particles” in the air. Anyone riding their bike may have noticed floating ash or other particles that were not bugs flying into their mouths.

People with asthma or people in general may want to consider wearing a mask when the air quality level is low and includes fine particles from burning ash.

The Reason Behind The Blood Orange Sun and Air Quality Alert In Beacon

Related Link: Pictures From The Unhealthy Air Quality In Beacon From The Canadian Wildfires

While we just experienced the Strawberry Moon with last week’s full moon, this orange sun in Beacon, the Hudson Valley and New York City is a result of the wildfires burning in an “out of control” state in the Canadian province of Québec, according to many news reports including NPR. Other neighboring states are also effected, including Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont, as well as southern states including North Carolina.

Locally, the Beacon City School District canceled any outdoor activities for Tuesday, including daytime recess for children. Field Days, the anticipated water sport and Bouncy House days scheduled for the end of the year each year, are being rescheduled, according to correspondence from Superintendent, Dr. Landahl. Some sports leagues, including Travel Soccer, who play on school property, made the voluntary decision to cancel practices.

According to NPR, the Canadian wildfire season has been particularly bad. In the report, according to Minister of Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair, 2,214 wildfires have burned across Canada this year alone, charring 8 million acres. The country is currently battling 413 wildfires, 249 of which are categorized as out of control, and an estimated 26,000 people remain evacuated from their homes.

Across Québec, more than 150 fires are raging, many of which are burning out of control, according to the province's forest protection service. Patch reports that 110 of them are out of control. Québec City is 450 miles from Beacon.

Why The Air Quality Alert?

While some say that it looks like dusk or apocalyptic all day, with the sunlight tainting orange through the hazy clouds, there are physical reasons for the quality of the air being compromised from the Canadian smoke.

According to Patch: “Air quality alerts are triggered by a number of factors, including the detection of fine-particle pollution — known as “PM 2.5” — which can irritate the lungs.” The media outlet quoted Dr. David Hill, a pulmonologist in Waterbury, Connecticut, and a member of the American Lung Association's National Board of Directors: “We have defenses in our upper airway to trap larger particles and prevent them from getting down into the lungs. These are sort of the right size to get past those defenses,” he said. “When those particles get down into the respiratory space, they cause the body to have an inflammatory reaction to them.”

The smell of smoke has been more noticeable in Beacon on Wednesday than prior days, and the wind is blowing. As reported by Patch, “the atmospheric conditions in the upper Midwest creating dry, warm weather made it possible for small particulates to travel hundreds of miles from the Canadian wildfires and linger for days,” according to Trent Ford, the state climatologist in Illinois.

“It’s a good example of how complex the climate system is but also how connected it is,” Trent said.

Safety Recommendations During This Wildfire-Based Air Quality Alert

• Wear a mask if you are doing yard-work. Consider not sweeping the driveway.

• Skip the leaf blowing and weed whacking part of lawn-care, as the particles will add to the other particles from the fires.

• Wear an N95 mask if you’re more comfortable.

• Ask your doctor if now is a good time to take your inhaler, and renew your prescription.

• Watch for signs to nebulize your children, if they are having mystery coughs. Ask your pediatrician if nebulizing them is a good idea for any possible asthma cough.

• Stay inside in air conditioning that is recirculating if possible.

• Now is a good time to re-consider getting an HVAC system if you haven’t yet.

• Live in a pro-active way to protect and respect the environment to reduce the reasons we are having extreme swings in heat. Start composting!

• Encourage other countries to send personnel and technology to put out the fires.

• Pray for rain in Canada.