The Worcester Fire Department [WFD] received several reports of smoke in Worcester recently.
WFD advises residents that haze and the smell of and smoke are persistent across Central Massachusetts. The source of both are wildfires in the western region of the United States.
The National Interagency Fire Center reported on Tuesday, July 26, that 85 large fires currently burn across the western part of the country, covering 1,511,162 acres.
The Department of Environmental Protection reports on air quality readings in Massachusetts on its MassAir Online website. It currently shows a reading of air quality on Summer Street in Worcester categorized as “unhealthy.”
The website describes the “unhealthy” category as:
“Everyone may begin to experience health effects. People in sensitive groups should avoid prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion and consider moving indoors or rescheduling. Those with asthma should keep quick relief medicine handy. Everyone else should reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion and take more breaks and do less intense activities.”
The National Weather Service reported that smokey conditions were picked up by satellite today.
[4:30pm] The smoky conditions are being picked up by the visible satellite across New England #wildfiresmoke pic.twitter.com/llooiis4qw
— NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) July 26, 2021
Updated at 6:50 PM to include information from National Weather Service.