In pictures: Smoke from Canadian wildfires fills North American cities

Wildfires burning up forests in the Canadian province of Quebec and northeastern Ontario are smoking out several major North American cities. From Ottawa to New York, massive smoke clouds have grounded flights and are severely affecting the air quality of millions of people.

According to reports from various news outlets, on June 7, smoke from the Canadian wildfires was affecting multiple major cities in the US. According to CNN, 75 million Americans were under air quality alert due to the contamination from the smoke.

New York City is among the hardest hit by wildfire smoke. During a press conference on June 7, NYC Mayor Eric Adams said that the city had an AQI of 484, the highest level New York had experienced since the 1960s.

As reported by CNN, Mayor Adams said, “It’s difficult to predict the movement of the smoke… This is an unpredictable series of events and we cannot provide guidance more than a day in advance at this point.”

Philadelphia is suffering the effects of the smoke coming from Quebec and northeastern Ontario as well. Eduardo Medino of the New York Times wrote on June 6, "The air quality in Philadelphia remained dangerous on Wednesday night. "

Medino of the NYT continued, "The Air Quality Index, which runs from 0 to 500 and measures the density of pollutants, reached 429 near midnight, a level considered “hazardous” to everyone in the city, according to the local department of public health."

The Canadian city of Toronto has also been terribly affected by the wildfire smoke. According to CBC News, the air quality in Toronto is generally at a three out of ten on the Air Quality Health Index.

However, on June 7, Environment Canada warned that the smoke had caused Toronto to reach a seven out of ten on the AQHI.

While experts said overnight the air quality would improve slightly, they expect the air quality to be even worse in the following days, possibly reaching nine out of ten on the AQHI.

The capital city of Canada, Ottawa, is also struggling with the smoke. According to the Ottawa Citizen, Environment and Climate Change Canada issued a warning on June 5 when the fine particulate matter in the city reached outrageous levels.

Usually, the fine particulate matter (aka PM2.5) in the city of Ottawa is in the ballpark of four to eleven micrograms per cubic meter.

However, on June 5, the reading hit a shocking 60 PM2.5 per cubic meter, prompting an air quality warning for residents of the city.

According to The New York Times, as of June 7, nearly 250 wildfires were burning out of control in Canada. Canadian firefighters are struggling to get things under control.

As a result, the NYT reported that the "US has sent more than 600 firefighters and support personnel to assist Canada in suppressing fires."

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau thanked Biden for the support according to a statement released by Trudeau’s office, adding “both leaders acknowledged the need to work together to address the devastating impacts of climate change.”

Given the poor air quality conditions both in the US and Canada, authorities in the affected areas have recommended that people stay indoors as much as possible, avoiding outdoor exercise or playtime for children, keeping doors and windows shut, and the use of air purifiers in the home if possible.

Inhaling smoke from wildfires is particularly dangerous because of the fine particulate matter it contains.

According to the World Health Organization, when wildfire smoke is inhaled, it often deep into the tissue of the lungs and can then enter the bloodstream.

Furthermore, inhaling large amounts of wildfire smoke can cause many serious health problems, such as respiratory illness, asthma and even heart disease.

The WHO highlights that in 2016 4.2 million people died prematurely due to inhaling fine particulate matter.

As William Barrett, the national senior director of clean air advocacy with the American Lung Association, told CNN, "... it's important that you do everything you can to remain indoors during those high, high pollution episodes, and it's really important to keep an eye on your health or any development of symptoms."