The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has declared a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for particulate matter from wildfire smoke for Monday in Bradford, Cameron, Clinton, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Potter, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Venango, Warren, Wayne, and Wyoming counties.

On Monday, smoke from wildfires in central Canada will push into northern Pennsylvania, elevating fine particulate matter pollution (PM2.5) into the Code ORANGE range. Sensitive groups of the population including children, older adults, and those with respiratory conditions should avoid heavy outdoor activity during this time.

Residents are encouraged to check www.airnow.gov for current conditions in their area.

On a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day, young children, the elderly, and those with respiratory problems, such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis, are especially vulnerable to the effects of air pollution and should limit outdoor activities.

Residents and businesses within the Air Quality Action Day areas are strongly encouraged to voluntarily help reduce fine particulate matter air pollution by:

Avoiding the use of gas-powered lawn and garden equipment;

Avoiding the open burning of leaves, trash, and other materials; and

Reducing or eliminating fireplace and wood stove use

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Air Quality Index (AQI) provides standardized color codes for forecasting and reporting daily air quality. Green signifies good air quality; Yellow means moderate air quality; Orange represents unhealthy pollution levels for sensitive groups of people; and Red warns of unhealthy pollution levels for all. An Air Quality Action Day is declared when the AQI is forecasted to be Code Orange or higher.

For more information, visit DEP at www.ahs.dep.pa.gov/AQPartnersWeb, EPA’s AirNow at www.airnow.gov.