As a dense haze from wildfires in Canada coated the D.C. area on Wednesday, flights were delayed, children’s activities were moved inside and people working outside said they felt weighed down.
With code red air quality, health officials warned people to stay inside if possible. Young children, older adults and anyone with heart or lung issues are particularly vulnerable, pulmonologist Dr. Ben Silverman said.
“Your children may not be able to stay outside for as long. They may need to do activities outside that are less strenuous, so maybe playing on a playground, not playing tag,” he said.
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Auto mechanic Izhar Ahmed, who has diabetes and a heart condition, got an alert from his doctor telling him to wear a mask while working outside. Even with the mask, the air on Wednesday may prove too dangerous for him.
“We'll see. Maybe another hour or so and we might have to close down today,” he said.
Construction worker Magda Peterson said the poor air quality was slowing her down.
“Even if I do a little work, I realize that the air makes me tired,” she said.
Arrivals at Dulles International Airport were delayed by up to 30 minutes at midday because of smoky conditions. Some flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport were also delayed.
A number of schools in the D.C. area cancelled outdoor activities including recess and sports practices. D.C. Public Schools cancelled all outdoor activities for Wednesday. Fairfax County Public Schools cancelled outdoor activities until 6 p.m. And Montgomery County Public Schools cancelled these activities for Wednesday as well as Thursday.
