Mamdani Urges Residents To Stay Safe As Canadian Wildfire Smoke Engulfs New York

Published 16 July 2026 · us

Mamdani Urges Residents To Stay Safe As Canadian Wildfire Smoke Engulfs New York Published By, Last Updated: July 16, 2026, 14:39 IST Canadian wildfire smoke

Mamdani Urges Residents To Stay Safe As Canadian Wildfire Smoke Engulfs New York Published By, Last Updated: July 16, 2026, 14:39 IST Canadian wildfire smoke worsened air quality across New York, prompting Mayor Zohran Mamdani to urge residents to take precautions as authorities issued health advisories. Rapid Read New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani (Photo Credit: Instagram) Smoke drifting from Canadian wildfires continued to worsen air quality across parts of New York and Toronto on Wednesday, prompting health advisories and warnings from authorities as hazy skies spread across the region. While New York City residents were urged to limit outdoor activity, Toronto recorded the worst air quality among major cities worldwide as smoke from the fires continued to blanket large parts of both countries. Mamdani Urges Residents To Limit Outdoor Exposure New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged residents to take precautions, saying- “Air quality has reached unhealthy levels in parts of NYC due to smoke from Canadian wildfires moving through the city. Poor air quality affects everyone, but some people are more sensitive to it than others, including people with heart or lung conditions, older adults, pregnant New Yorkers, and infants and children." His appeal came after the Weather Service issued an air quality alert for New York City, which remained in effect until midnight on Wednesday.

Authorities have advised residents to limit strenuous outdoor activities to reduce the risk of health complications. Air quality has reached unhealthy levels in parts of NYC due to smoke from Canadian wildfires moving through the city.Poor air quality affects everyone, but some people are more sensitive to it than others, including people with heart or lung conditions, older adults, pregnant… — Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) July 15, 2026 According to forecasts, visible smoke was expected to move into western New York before spreading across the rest of the state during the day. The western region was forecast to experience the worst conditions, while hazy skies and periods of poor air quality were expected across much of the state. Toronto Records World’s Worst Air Quality The impact of the wildfire smoke was also felt in Canada, where Toronto recorded the worst air quality among major cities worldwide on Wednesday, according to Swiss air quality monitoring firm IQAir. The city ranked ahead of New Delhi and Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, after smoke from wildfires turned Toronto’s skies a hazy yellowish-grey.