"Smoke from Canadian Wildfires Triggers Air Quality Alerts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Chicago"

Air quality alerts are in effect for Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey due to smoke from the Canadian wildfires. Pennsylvania and Delaware are under a code red alert, indicating unhealthful air pollution concentrations for the general population, while New Jersey is under a code orange alert, indicating potential unhealthful conditions for sensitive groups. The smoke is being funneled towards the region due to weather patterns. The Canadian wildfires have already burned a record area, and the smoke is causing respiratory issues for individuals, including chest tightness and shortness of breath. Concentrations of smoke will be high throughout the day in western Pennsylvania and increasing in eastern Pennsylvania. Wearing a KN95 or N95 mask outside can help mitigate the effects. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection expects the smoke to impact air quality until Friday, with possible relief on Saturday.