Murphy calls on N.J. to stay inside as ‘unprecedented’ wildfire smoke could linger a few more days (2024)

THE LATEST: N.J. weather: Smoke finally clearing, air quality improving ahead of warm weekend. Latest forecast.

The day after wildfire smoke wafting across the Northeast from Canada sparked apocalyptic-looking skies and historically hazardous air conditions in New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday morning again urged residents to stay inside as much as possible and wear masks when outdoors as effects are improving but continue to linger.

Providing an update at a 10:30 a.m. news conference in Newark, Murphy and state officials warned the air quality here was still at an unhealthy level and air quality alerts have been issued through Friday. Asked for a timeline as to when the air will clear, the governor said that’s not expected for “the next day or two at a minimum.”

“What we have seen is unprecedented,” Murphy said. “The widespread nature and uncommonly high levels of fine particulate concentrations reaching the unhealthy category is of historic magnitude. And poor air quality impacts everyone.”

Murphy has stopped short of formally restricting residents, including closing schools statewide, as he did during the coronavirus pandemic. Yet, he stressed the air still “poses a risk” not only to vulnerable residents — children, older adults, pregnant people, and those with heart and lung conditions such as asthma — but “frankly to everybody.”

He said officials are “strongly” suggesting all “sensitive” residents refrain from going outside, while keeping doors and windows closed, and everyone else to “try and limit their time outdoors today and avoid strenuous activities” because of health issues the smoke can cause.

Murphy called on anyone who does go out to wear a “good-fitting” N95 mask and those who have to work outdoors to take additional breaks.

“Don’t panic, but use your head,” he said.

In addition, the Democratic governor said this “hardens” his administration’s efforts to combat climate change, which experts say is contributing to more extreme weather events.

“Climate change is here,” Murphy said. “Unfortunately, this is our new reality.”

Officials say the current situation stems from smoke traveling from a series of wildfires burning hundreds of miles away in eastern Canada. It began cloaking New Jersey and New York City in haze and a smoky odor Tuesday, with conditions worsening Wednesday. The smoke has also affected other parts of the region, including Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., as it moves south.

New Jersey on Wednesday its worst air quality day in at least 43 years. Some areas saw the Air Quality Index reach into the 400s. Anything above 100 is considered “unhealthy” and above 200 “very unhealthy.”

As of 7 a.m. Thursday, Murphy said the index was at 226 in Jersey City, 237 in Central Jersey, and 285 in South Jersey.

Forecasters say the worst of it was set to dissipate Thursday, but the smoke could thicken again in the evening, while air quality will remain bad for a few days. They say the conditions should ease more Friday and Saturday.

Kati Angarone, acting commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Protection while the full-time commissioner is out of state, said New Jersey has declared an “air quality action day” for Thursday and Friday, She noted the outlook could change and air clearing depends on “the wind and the weather.”

For Thursday, the “action day” means “levels of fine particulates will remain in the unhealthy category on Thursday and extend into the evening hours,” and “some members of the general public may experience health effects” and “sensitive groups … may experience more serious health effects,” according to the DEP

For Friday, it means “levels of fine particulates will remain elevated in the unhealthy for sensistive groups category statewide.”

Murphy said he spoke Wednesday with Canadian authorities who told him the country is dealing with 200 separate wildfires that have burned more than 10 million acres, a number expected to rise to 12 million. Of those fires, 170 are out of control, the officials told the governor.

New Jersey has also seen a few of its own wildfires in recent days, including a massive one that consumed more than 5,000 acres in Bass River State Forest. But Murphy said those are largely under control and the conditions affecting the state now are “overwhelmingly” because of the Canadian fires.

Murphy said state offices had a delayed opening Thursday of 10 a.m., a day after they closed early because of the smoke.

State Police, meanwhile, are handing out free N95 masks at train stations in Hoboken, Secaucus, Newark (Penn Station), Trenton, Camden, and Atlantic City.

“Please, if you need a mask, ask for one. We will replenish the supplies, if they run out, and they will be available,” State Police Deputy Superintendent Colonel Sean Kilcomons said.

State Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said “dust masks commonly found in hardware stores will not provide protection.”

She also emphasized that children are more at risk than adults because they breathe more air relative to their body weight and tend to be more active.

Wildfires can cause children to experience “chest tightness or pain, shortness of breath or trouble breathing, coughing, irritation of nose, throat, and eyes and feeling dizzy or light-headed,” Persichilli said.

“You know your child best,” she added. “You can determine if a mask is appropriate.”

Asked why he shuttered state offices not but New Jersey schools, Murphy said the state has closed all schools “once in our history” — meaning, because of COVID-19.

“That’s not something we take lightly,” he said, adding there is a “very high concentration” of state workers in Trenton and Newark, but there are more than 600 school districts across the state.

Five school districts voluntarily closed Thursday.

“We respect those decisions, but we don’t see a need to make a blanket move on that front,” Murphy said, though he added “we leave all options on the table.”

He also said the state could “potentially” supply masks to schools.

Asked more about the effects of climate change, Murphy said a big problem is it’s causing weather events to not only be more intense and frequent but the wildfire season to go from a couple months to four or five months each year.

The governor said “sloppy behavior, humans doing something bone-headed, or malevolent behavior” will always cause some fires, but “the reality is temperatures are going up, storms are more frequent and more intense, we’re getting more densely populated, got all sorts of elements swirling around.”

RELATED: When the smoke clears will we still be talking about air quality? Why we should.

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Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him at @johnsb01.