Air quality was at unhealthy levels on the North Shore Tuesday morning as smoke from a large brush fire in the area continued to blanket the area. The conditions prompted Salem Public Schools to restrict outdoor activities and dismiss high school students earlier.
Crews are working at brush fires across the state. On the North Shore, more than 250 acres of woodlands have burned as of Tuesday afternoon in multiple brush fires.
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In Salem, the district began dismissing students from Salem High School at 11:30 a.m. due to concerns about smoke in the area. They also planned to relocate students from the Horace Mann Laboratory School to Witchcraft Heights Elementary School.
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Officials said this was caused by a fire that broke out in the woods between First Street and the golf course - a different fire than the one reported over the weekend near the Walmart on Highland Avenue.
District officials stressed that there was no immediate danger from the fire, but there were concerns about the elevated smoke levels around the schools.
"The fire itself is not the danger. It’s the air quality this morning," said Chris O’Donnell, Salem Public Schools Director of Communications. "As we arrived on campus this morning we could smell quite a bit of smoke. There’s always initial concern but we made it clear that the fire is not the danger."
According to the Environmental Protection Agency's AirNow Fire and Smoke Map, air quality in Lynn had reached "hazardous" levels - over 300 PM - early Tuesday morning, the worst alert level listed and considered an emergency. As of mid-morning it had dropped into the "very unhealthy" level - between 201 to 300 PM - a category where the risk of health effects is increased for everyone. Levels may fluctuate depending on the fires and weather conditions. The public is advised to limit outdoor activities when possible.
This is the second day of air quality concerns from the fire. On Monday the smell of smoke was strong all over the Boston area due to a weather phenomenon called inversion. That's when warm air traps cool air and smoke close to the ground, and that can be a concern for air quality because wildfire smoke has been shown to carry pollutants.
In general, fire officials suggest staying inside if you can see or smell smoke in your area.
"Obviously if it's smoky outside then it's probably not a good idea to be outside. We're telling people to keep their windows and doors closed to try to keep the smoke outside," said Middleton Fire Chief Douglas Lecolst. He added that anyone experiencing respiratory issues should call 911 for help.
“Air pollution in general can have both immediate and long-term effects, depends on the quantity of exposure and intensity," said Dr. Wynne Armand, a Mass General Brigham internist, told NBC10 Boston on Monday. "Also, some of the immediate effects on the milder side could be irritation of the throat or eyes, or even exacerbation of skin conditions like eczema, more of the serious symptoms can be difficulty breathing, coughing, chest pain, palpitations.”
Health experts say while the poor air quality can impact everyone, those with underlying health conditions, the very young and the very old should take extra precautions.
