Smoke drifting south from Canadian wildfires pushed air quality to unhealthy levels across most of Maryland on Wednesday. The Maryland Department of the Environment issued Code Orange alerts for much of the state, set to expire at midnight.
What’s Happening: The alerts stretch from the Eastern Shore to the Baltimore and Washington suburbs, covering a large portion of the state. Ground-level ozone is the pollutant driving the warnings.
Areas under the alert:
- Eastern Shore: Dorchester, Wicomico, Somerset, Inland Worcester, Maryland Beaches, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Talbot, and Caroline counties.
- Baltimore and Annapolis region: Southern Baltimore and Anne Arundel County.
- Northeast Maryland: Cecil and Southeast Harford counties.
- Suburban Washington: Prince George’s County and parts of Montgomery and Howard counties.
What’s Important: Code Orange means pollution may reach levels that are unhealthy for sensitive groups, including children, the elderly, and anyone with asthma, heart disease, or other lung conditions. Health officials recommend those groups stay indoors or avoid strenuous outdoor activity for the rest of the day.
What We Know: Ground-level ozone forms when sunlight reacts with pollutants in the air. Wildfire smoke adds to that mix and can push ozone concentrations higher, especially on warm, sunny days.
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