New York: On Wednesday, smoke from Canadian wildfires poured into the US East Coast and Midwest, blanketing the cities' capitals in an unhealthy haze, delaying flights at busy airports, cancelling Major League Baseball games, and forcing people to dig out face masks from the pandemic era.

More than 400 fires across the country have already forced 20,000 people from their homes, and Canadian officials have asked other nations for additional assistance. The New York metropolitan area, central New York state, and portions of Pennsylvania and New Jersey were all affected by air that had dangerous levels of pollution. Millions of people were impacted by massive tongues of unhealthy air that reached as far as North Carolina and Indiana.

Dr. Ken Strumpf posted on Facebook from Syracuse, New York, where there was an amber pall, saying, "I can taste the air. He later claimed over the phone that the smoke even gave him a little dizziness.

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In Syracuse, New York City, and Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley, the air quality index, a measure of air pollution developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency, occasionally exceeded a startling 400. A level of 50 or less is deemed to be favourable, while anything over 300 is deemed to be "hazardous," with even healthy individuals being advised to limit outdoor physical activity.

Debbie Funk was wearing a blue surgical mask as she and her husband Jack Hughes strolled around Fort McHenry in Baltimore, a national landmark that overlooks the Patapsco River on a daily basis. The horizon was obscured by the heavy air hanging over the water.

Funk remarked, "It was like a waft of smoke when I walked outside this morning.

According to Canadian officials, this year's wildfire season is expected to be the worst ever in the country. It began early on drier-than-normal ground and grew quickly, using up all available firefighting resources across the nation, according to fire and environmental officials.

Since last month, smoke from fires across the nation has been drifting into the US. However, with recent fires in Quebec, where about 100 were deemed out of control on Wednesday — unsettlingly, national Clean Air Day in Canada — the smoke has intensified.

The office towers across the Ottawa River from downtown Ottawa, Canada's capital, could hardly be seen due to the dense smoke. Yili Ma announced that she was skipping Toronto's restaurant patios and that her hiking plans, a beloved Canadian summer tradition, had been postponed.

The 31-year-old bemoaned, "I put my mask away for over a year, and now I'm putting on my mask since yesterday."

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Approximately 40 fires can currently be put out in Quebec, according to Premier François Legault, and the usual reinforcements from other provinces have been constrained by fires in Nova Scotia and other places.

More than 950 firefighters and other personnel have already arrived from the US, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, according to Jennifer Kamau, a spokesperson for the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, and more are on the way.

President Joe Biden has sent more than 600 firefighters and equipment to Canada, according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in Washington. She claimed that his administration has gotten in touch with a few local and state governors in the US to inquire about aid.

The tweet from Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada, stated that he spoke with Biden on the phone and "thanked him for all the help Americans are providing as we continue to fight these devastating wildfires."

Legault said the roughly 4,000 residents of the northern Cree town of Mistissini would probably have to leave Wednesday. Chibougamau, the largest town in Northern Quebec with a population of about 7,500, was evacuated on Tuesday. But later in the day, Mistissini Chief Michael Petawabano emphasised the safety of his community and urged citizens to wait for guidance from Cree authorities.

Although some rain fell in eastern Quebec on Wednesday, Environment Canada meteorologist Simon Legault of Montreal said no significant rain is anticipated in central Quebec's remote regions, where the wildfires are more intense, for days.

Zach Taylor, a meteorologist with the US National Weather Service, claimed that the current weather in the central and eastern US is essentially funnelling in the smoke. This weekend or the beginning of next week, some rain should help to slightly clear the air in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, but more comprehensive relief will come from containing or putting out the fires, he said.

1 million N95 masks would be available at state facilities, according to New York Governor Kathy Hochul. As smoke obscured the skyline, New York City's beaches were closed, and Mayor Eric Adams advised citizens to stay indoors as much as possible. Central Park and the Bronx Zoos closed early, and their animals were brought inside.

Because the smoke was obstructing visibility, the Federal Aviation Administration stopped some flights headed for LaGuardia Airport and slowed down aircraft bound for Newark Liberty and Philadelphia. Additionally, it caused a delay in arrivals at Dulles International Airport outside of Washington, where the Washington Monument was obscured by thick haze and outdoor tours had to be cancelled.

Games in New York and Philadelphia were postponed by Major League Baseball, and a WNBA indoor game in Brooklyn was also cancelled.

The Broadway production of "Prima Facie" was restarted with an understudy after "Killing Eve" star Jodie Comer left the matinee after 10 minutes due to breathing problems. The performances of "Hamilton" and "Camelot" were postponed for Wednesday night. According to "Hamilton" publicists, the poor air quality "made it impossible for a number of our artists to perform." Shakespeare in the Park, a well-liked outdoor production, was postponed through Friday.

Sports and other outdoor activities were suspended in schools across several states, and playtime was moved inside. On Wednesday and Thursday, live horse racing at Delaware Park in Wilmington was postponed. Participants in Global Running Day's virtual 5K were advised by the event's organisers to modify their plans in response to the air quality.
State offices in New Jersey were shuttered early, and some political protests were moved indoors or delayed in locations from Manhattan to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. In the New York metropolitan area, picket lines with striking Hollywood writers were dispersed.
People with health issues like Vicki Burnett, 67, who has asthma and has experienced severe bronchitis flare-ups, were made worse by the smoke.

In Farmington Hills, Michigan, on Wednesday morning, Burnett said, "I came in and started coughing and hopped back into bed."
She emphasised, however, that she is worried about everyone in Canada, not just herself. "It's unfortunate, and I'm having some problems because of it, but there should be help for them," she said. 

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At the time, Gillies was in Toronto. Journalists for the Associated Press who were based in Dover, Delaware, Albany, New York, Dallas, Aamer Madhani, Washington, Brooke Schultz, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Lea Skene, Baltimore, Buffalo, New York, Philadelphia, West Bloomfield, Michigan, and New York contributed: Ron Blum, Mark Kennedy, Jake Offenhartz, Karen Matthews, and Julie Walker.