![\"WHAT](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1784246174_936_.png\"\/)
<\/p>\nEncroaching wildfire smoke from Canada and Minnesota has prompted the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to declare a statewide Code Purple Air Quality Alert for Friday.<\/p>\n
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency <\/p>\n
WHAT DO THE COLORS MEAN?
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency\u2019s Air Quality Index (AQI) provides standardized color codes for air quality:
\u25cf Green – good air quality
\u25cf Yellow – moderate air quality
\u25cf Orange – unhealthy pollution levels for sensitive groups
\u25cf Red – unhealthy pollution levels for all
\u25cf Purple – very unhealthy pollution levels for all.
\u25cf Maroon – hazardous pollution levels. <\/p>\n
![\"Wildfire](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1784246175_67_.png\"\/)
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Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection<\/p>\n
Wildfire smoke from Canada and Minnesota will blanket Pennsylvania on Friday, July 17, 2026, creating Code Purple concentrations of particulate matter, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection says.<\/p>\n
That designation, which is based on the amount of particulate matter in the air, means conditions are “very unhealthy,” state officials say, and all residents are encouraged to move their activities indoors.<\/p>\n
It means that the smoke will create heavy concentrations of “PM2.5.” As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) explains<\/a>, “PM stands for particulate matter (also called particle pollution): the term for a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air.”<\/p>\n What’s happening, and where?<\/p>\n According to The Associated Press<\/a> smoke darkened skies in the U.S. on Thursday from the Great Lakes to parts of the East Coast, reducing visibility and prompting warnings that breathing the air outside could be dangerous<\/a>.<\/p>\n NPR reports<\/a> that wildfires and smoke are increasing across the country, and hotter temperatures and climate change are factors.<\/p>\n In neighboring New York, the state Department of Environmental Conservation warned that there was a potential for temporary spikes of \u201cvery unhealthy\u201d air quality from Buffalo in the state\u2019s western corner to Rochester by Lake Ontario, Syracuse in the central region, down to the greater New York City area, The Associated Press reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n Individual alerts have been issued in many large cities around the country, including Philadelphia<\/a>. <\/p>\n In New Jersey<\/a>, Gov. Mikie Sherrill directed NJ TRANSIT and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority to make masks available to commuters.<\/p>\n Staying safe <\/p>\n “All residents should avoid long or intense outdoor activities, and sensitive groups such as children, elderly residents, and those with respiratory illnesses should avoid all outdoor activities,” a Pennsylvania DEP release states.<\/p>\n DEP says residents and businesses “are strongly encouraged” to voluntarily help reduce the pollution by:<\/p>\n \u25cf Avoiding the use of gas-powered lawn and garden equipment. Where to learn more<\/p>\n \u25cf The City of Scranton has localized information on its website<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u25cf Pennsylvania residents can learn more by visiting DEP’s Air Quality Partnership page<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u25cf Residents anywhere across the nation can learn more about air quality in their areas by visiting the EPA’s AirNow site<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\u25cf Avoiding the open burning of leaves, trash, and other materials.<\/p>\n