New York
\nSmoke from Canadian wildfires shrouded New York in a record-breaking apocalyptic smog Wednesday as cities along the US East Coast issued air pollution warnings and thousands evacuated their homes in Canada.
\nThe devastating fires have displaced more than 20,000 people and scorched about 3.8 million hectares of land in Canada, where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described this wildfire season as the country\u2019s worst ever
\nMore than 100m people across the northeastern United States \u2014 extending west to Chicago and south to Atlanta \u2014 were under pollution warnings after the smoke drifted hundreds of miles from Canada, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said.
\nThe thick pollution cast an eerie, yellowish glow over the Big Apple\u2019s famous skyscrapers, delayed flights and forced the postponement of sporting events.
\n\u201cIt smells like someone is doing a barbecue,\u201d said Nicha Suaittiyanon, a 30-year-old tourist in New York City from Thailand, who complained of watery and itchy eyes.
\nMayor Eric Adams told New Yorkers to limit outdoor activity to \u201cthe absolute necessities\u201d, adding: \u201cThis is not the day to train for a marathon.\u201d
\nAll outdoor activities at New York City\u2019s public schools were suspended, as the smog enveloped the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline.
\nThe Federal Aviation Administration said it had slowed traffic to and from the city\u2019s airports due to reduced visibility.
\nUS President Joe Biden said on Twitter that more than 600 firefighters along with other personnel and equipment had been sent to Canada to help battle the blazes.
\nMore than 11,000 people have already been evacuated in Quebec, and another 4,000 were expected to flee by the end of Wednesday, said the province\u2019s Premier Francois Legault.
\nBiden spoke with Trudeau on Wednesday and offered \u201cadditional support to respond to the devastating and historic wildfires\u201d according to the White House.
\nTrudeau said he had thanked Biden, tweeting: \u201cThese fires are affecting everyday routines, lives and livelihoods, and our air quality.
\n\u201cWe\u2019ll keep working\u2026 to tackle climate change and address its impacts.\u201d
\nMeanwhile, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari offered \u201cheartfelt solidarity and sympathy\u201d with Canada, highlighting that the \u201cimpact of climate change was being felt worldwide\u201d.
\n\u201cPakistan too witnessed unprecedented forest fires last year,\u201d he said in a tweet. \u201cA stark reminder that urgent action is needed to effectively address the climate crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
New York Smoke from Canadian wildfires shrouded New York in a record-breaking apocalyptic smog Wednesday as cities along the US East Coast issued air pollution warnings and thousands evacuated their homes in Canada. The devastating fires have displaced more than 20,000 people and scorched about 3.8 million hectares of land in Canada, where Prime Minister […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":336364,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-336341","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n