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Wildfire smoke continues to drift from Canada

A bird flies in front of the sun as Haze blankets the region.
Alex Brandon
/
AP
A bird flies in front of the sun as Haze blankets the region.

The thick wildfire smoke drifting down from Canada will stick around into the weekend, according to experts in Connecticut.

The skies are orange because of soot from the Canadian wildfires, said Robert Hansen, an environmental scientist at Quinnipiac University.

“These are very fine particles less than 2.5 micrometers or about a millionth of an inch. The danger is from inhaling these through some of our respiratory system's natural defenses,” Hansen said.

Children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing health conditions such as asthma and heart and lung problems should limit outdoor activities, especially in the afternoons and evenings, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection warned in an advisory issued on Wednesday.

And everyone else should take frequent breaks if they must be outside, it said.

Better air quality is expected over the weekend, with a weather system producing some showers and storms on Saturday and early Sunday.

As WSHU Public Radio’s award-winning senior political reporter, Ebong Udoma draws on his extensive tenure to delve deep into state politics during a major election year.