The hazardous orange-colored air turned mostly into blue skies Friday after smoke from the fires in Canada spread to the Garden State this week.
Some areas of the state, like Camden where county officials declared a code yellow warning Friday, are still struggling with the lingering impacts of the wildfires. Camden residents are feeling more optimistic about weather conditions, as they’re expected to improve in the coming days.
“It’s clearing, but there are still some particulate matter in the air that we cannot see with our eyes. So that’s why we tell people with respiratory illnesses to be indoors,” said Paschal Nwako, Camden County Health Officer. The code yellow declared in the county means outdoor activities aren’t being canceled anymore, but some folks should still be careful.
Camden’s Air Quality Index, or AQI, was 96 this morning, a far cry from the 302 AQI seen earlier this week in parts of the county.
Yesterday, New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said statewide emergency room visits jumped for people with asthma, approaching levels not seen since the winter. Rutgers professor Robert Laumbach says those health impacts are felt disproportionately in places like Camden.
“People of color, people of low income are more likely to have asthma and COPD. They’re also less likely to be able to access care as readily when they need care, such as accessing medication and so forth,” said Laumbach.
