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Dear USET/USET SPF Family,
In recent days, smoke from wildfires in Canada has drifted across the United States, leading to more than half a dozen states issuing air quality alerts. Canada officially started its wildfire season in late April, and there are currently 738 wildfires burning across Canada, 201 of them considered to be out of control. Winds can move unpredictably, so any USET member Tribal Nation may be affected by wildfire smoke from Canada or local fires, sometimes without warning. This past weekend, levels of air quality concerns related to wildfire smoke reached the Northeast region in states such as New York, where your Tribal Nation may be located (see Figure 1). Listed below are current counties in New York State with Air Quality Health Advisories, as of August 5, 2025:
- Long Island - Nassau and Suffolk
- NYC Metro - New York City, Rockland, and Westchester
- Lower Hudson Valley - Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Ulster, and Sullivan
- Upper Hudson Valley - Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, and Washington
- Adirondacks - Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Northern Herkimer, Lewis, St. Lawrence, and Warren
- Eastern Lake Ontario - Northern Cayuga, Jefferson, Monroe, Oswego, and Wayne
- Central New York - Allegany, Broome, southern Cayuga, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Southern Herkimer, Livingston, Madison, Onondaga, Oneida, Ontario, Otsego, Tioga, Tompkins, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, and Yates
- Western New York - Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, and Wyoming
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines wildfire smoke as a mixture of gases and particles from burning plants, trees, buildings, and other materials. This combination can cause illness, but the most susceptible are those with immune disorders, pregnant people, children, and responders. In addition, those with conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and heart disease are also at elevated risk of illness. Breathing in smoke can have immediate effects, causing symptoms such as coughing, asthma attacks, wheezing, irritated sinuses, chest pain, and more. USET TEC recommends that Tribal Nations take precautions to protect against wildfire smoke, particularly those in the Northeast region at this time. Affected Tribal Nations may want to consider issuing air quality alerts for their communities to stress the importance of taking the precautions listed below. Additionally, we recommend that Tribal communities be diligent in monitoring their state and local EPA websites.
Key Precautions When Smoke is in the Air
- Wear a mask or respirator. An N95, KN95 mask or P100 respirator, if worn correctly, can provide some lung protection from particulates in the air.
- Stay indoors, if possible, particularly in areas with high air quality index warnings.
- Keep the indoor air as clean as possible.
- Keep windows shut and run air conditioning, if possible.
- Seek other shelter if air conditioning is not available and it is too hot outside.
- Do not add in any indoor pollution by burning candles, incense, or other smoking products.
- Monitor air quality conditions using weather apps, weather websites, and/or listen to alerts through weather radio stations.
- AirNow has an up-to-date interactive fire and smoke map. The Air Quality Index is an easy guide for knowing pollution levels in the air.
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