The White House on Wednesday called on Americans in poor health to “take precautions” in the face of deteriorating air quality on the US East Coast as a result of the violent fires in Canada.
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We urge everyone in affected areas to pay attention to local conditions. Make sure your neighbors, friends and family are safe. “Take precautions, especially if you have health problems,” said Karen Jean-Pierre, a spokeswoman for the US executive.
She described the situation as “another worrying sign of how the climate crisis is affecting our lives.”
As gray haze shrouded the Washington sky, Joe Biden’s spokeswoman explained that the 80-year-old president did not wear a mask to protect himself.
Asked about when a grand reception is scheduled for Thursday on the White House gardens, she indicated she had no change to announce but specified that the President’s services “continue to monitor the situation.”
According to her, Mr. Biden is aware of the development of the fires in Canada and his teams are in contact with the Canadian authorities.
It said US firefighters and equipment had been sent to Canada.
Quebec, which has become the epicenter of wildfires ravaging much of Canada, expects to have to evacuate thousands more people over the next few hours.
Canada as a whole is experiencing an unprecedented year: 2,293 bushfires have been recorded and nearly 3.8 million hectares burned, a much higher total than the average of recent decades.
In addition to some Canadian cities, several regions of the United States, including New York, were on alert Wednesday due to air pollution, and many schools, for example, have given up on outdoor recreation or exercise.
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