Protect yourself from Canadian Wildfire Smoke and bad Ozone in Western New York

Canadian wildfires and bad ozone are impacting air quality in Western New York. Use AirNow.gov to check your current local air quality.

Air quality health advisory issued for WNY

Smoke from Canadian wildfires and ground-level ozone pollution are impacting the air quality in Western New York. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Amanda Lefton and State Department of Health (DOH) Commissioner Dr. James McDonald issued an updated Air Quality Health Advisory for Wednesday, June 4, 2025, for ozone to include the Western New York region, in addition to the advisory in place today for the New York City Metro and Lower Hudson Valley regions.

What is wildfire smoke and bad ozone?

Wildfire smoke is a mix of gases and fine particles from burning trees and plants, buildings, and other material. Smoke from wildfires can travel hundreds to thousands of miles, impacting areas far from the original fire and contributes to ground-level ozone pollution.

Ozone (O3) is a gas molecule composed of three oxygen atoms. Ozone is often described as being "good" or "bad,"depending on where it is in the atmosphere. Ozone in there the upper atmosphere is "good" because it protects living things from much of the sun's ultraviolet radiation. Ozone at ground-level where we can breathe it in is considered "bad" because it can cause a variety of health problems.

Monitor your local AQI

Just like we use weather forecasts to tell us how to plan for heat, cold and storms, the Air Quality Index (AQI) tells us how to prepare for how clean or polluted the air is outside. On days with a high AQI (poor air quality), planning ahead and taking proper action can help prevent short term and long term health effects of breathing dirty air.

You can check your local AQI by zip code at AirNow.gov.
New York State Air Quality Hotline at (800) 535-1345
View NYS latest air quality forecast
If you would like to be notified when daily air quality reaches a level of your choice, you can sign up for Enviroflash at enviroflash.info.

Who can get sick from air pollution?

Wildfire smoke and ground-level ozone air pollution can make anyone sick, including pets, but the following are especially at risk:

People with asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary
Disease (COPD) or heart disease, other chronic conditions
Pregnant people
Older adults
Children
First responders
People who work or exercise outdoors
People with reduced intake of certain nutrients, such as vitamins C and E

What are the health effects of breathing polluted air?

Immediate health symptoms of breathing air polluted with wildfire smoke and ozone include:

Coughing
Trouble breathing
Wheezing
Asthma attacks
Scratchy throat
Runny nose
Irritated sinuses/nose
Stinging eyes
Headaches
Tiredness
Chest pain
Fast heartbeat

The long term health effects include:

Heart attack
Stroke
Lung cancer
Decreased lung function
Bronchitis
Asthma attacks
Decline in cognitive function

Monitor your symptoms and talk to your health care provider. You may also want to talk with a health care provider about your personal health risks when smokey air or polluted cannot be avoided.

How to reduce your exposure to poor quality air:

Though outdoor air is generally impossible to avoid completely, limiting the amount of time you spend outside breathing the polluted air is recommended. Other measures you can take are:

Stay indoors when health officials advise to do so
Choose a room you can close off from outside air.
Close windows, doors, fireplace dampers and turn off ventilation systems.
Spend more time indoors, where particle pollution levels are usually lower. Postpone any outdoor activities, including sports or hard physical work. They can wait.
Consider air filters and use as directed.
If you have to go outside, consider wearing the right respirator mask (N95 or P100) and wear it correctly NIOSH has not approved respirators for children. If you have heart or lung disease ask your doctor if it is safe for you to wear a respirator.
Avoid using candles, gas, propane, wood-burning stoves, fireplaces, or aerosol sprays and don’t fry or broil meat, smoke tobacco products, or vacuum.
If you have a central air conditioning system, use high efficiency filters to capture fine particles from smoke. If your system has a fresh air intake, set the system to recirculate mode or close the outdoor intake damper.
Set your car's climate control system to recirculate
Find a place to keep cool indoors

Protect your pets & animals too!

Animals and pets can be also be affected by wildfire smoke and bad ozone:

Learn how to protect pets and protect livestock.
Wildfire smoke and animals

Take action to reduce air pollution:

New Yorkers also are urged to take the following energy-saving and pollution-reducing steps:

use mass transit or carpool instead of driving, as automobile emissions account for about 60 percent of pollution in our cities
conserve fuel and reduce exhaust emissions by combining necessary motor vehicle trips
turn off all lights and electrical appliances in unoccupied areas
use fans to circulate air
if air conditioning is necessary, set thermostats at 78 degrees
close the blinds and shades to limit heat build-up and to preserve cooled air
limit use of household appliances, and run appliances, when necessary, at off-peak (after 7 p.m.) hours. These would include dishwashers, dryers, pool pumps and water heaters
set refrigerators and freezers at more efficient temperatures;
purchase and install energy efficient lighting and appliances with the Energy Star label
reduce or eliminate outdoor burning and attempt to minimize indoor sources of PM 2.5, such as smoking