{"id":767814,"date":"2026-07-17T07:09:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-17T07:09:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/767814\/"},"modified":"2026-07-17T07:09:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T07:09:12","slug":"just-in-unhealthy-air-expected-in-d-c-region-friday-due-to-wildfire-smoke","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/767814\/","title":{"rendered":"JUST IN: Unhealthy air expected in D.C. region Friday due to wildfire smoke"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\"Hazy\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

A watercraft sits in the Detroit River near the skyline during poor air quality due to smoke from Canadian wildfires Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Detroit (AP Photo\/Paul Sancya)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Parking\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Mostly clear skies in Vienna on July 16, 2026 (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)<\/p>\n

Fairfax County hasn\u2019t yet seen clear evidence of the wildfires raging in Canada<\/a> and Minnesota, but that could change tomorrow (Friday), as smoke continues wafting toward the East Coast.<\/p>\n

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) are both forecasting Code Red air quality tomorrow for Northern Virginia<\/a> and the greater D.C. region<\/a>, meaning conditions will be unhealthy for everyone.<\/p>\n

\u201cResidents should reduce outdoor activities, especially children, older adults, people with respiratory conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and people with other chronic conditions including heart disease and diabetes,\u201d Fairfax County said in a blog post<\/a> announcing the alert.<\/p>\n

Due to wildfires in Canada, a Code Red Air Quality alert has been issued for Friday, July 17, which means air quality is unhealthy for everyone.<\/p>\n

Protect your health with these tips: https:\/\/fairfaxcountyemergency.wpcomstaging.com\/2026\/07\/16\/code-red-air-quality-day-for-friday-july-17\/<\/p>\n

[image or embed]<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Fairfax County Government (@fairfaxcounty.gov<\/a>) July 16, 2026 at 4:25 PM<\/a><\/p>\n

In addition to limiting outdoor activities, the Fairfax County Health Department says<\/a> residents should close windows and use air purifiers. More safety tips<\/a> from the county:<\/p>\n

Avoid strenuous outdoor activities.
\nConsider moving outdoor and physical activities indoors or rescheduling them. Keep outdoor activities such as dog walking short and take frequent breaks.
\nUse air conditioning and\/or air purifiers at home and change filters often.
\nKeep vehicle and home windows and doors shut.
\nMake sure prescribed breathing aids, such as inhalers and oxygen, are accessible and working correctly.
\nSeek medical attention for urgent symptoms such as difficulty breathing, chest tightness, or irregular heartbeat.
\nConsider wearing a well-fitting face mask outside if you have a respiratory condition.
\nOutdoor workers should consider alternative schedules and take frequent breaks.<\/p>\n

Driven by an expected surge in \u201cfine particle pollution,\u201d per the alert from COG, a Code Red is a step up from the Code Orange air quality alert issued today<\/a>, which signaled that the air could be unhealthy for sensitive groups, including children and people with respiratory difficulties.<\/p>\n

The last time Fairfax County faced a Code Red alert was in June 2023<\/a>, when another season of Canadian wildfires brought an increase in particulate matter and cast the area in a smoggy, slightly orange haze.<\/p>\n

Conditions could be even worse tomorrow in parts of Maryland<\/a>, where authorities are forecasting Code Purple air quality. According to Capital Weather<\/a>, some smoke began entering the D.C. region on Tuesday (July 15), but it stayed high enough to not have a noticeable impact on the air quality on the ground.<\/p>\n

Officials advise residents to stay inside<\/p>\n

In a preview of what local residents might see tomorrow, wildfire smoke clouded other parts of the U.S. today, particularly in the Great Lakes region and more northern parts of the East Coast. Some cities grappled with reduced visibility and issued warnings for people to stay inside and wear masks.<\/p>\n

The smoke is coming from\u00a0fires<\/a>\u00a0that are\u00a0burning primarily in Canada\u00a0but also in northern Minnesota. A lingering high pressure system has trapped the smoke close to the ground, said Steven Freitag, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Detroit, where air quality was among the worst in the world for major cities.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure enough, it arrived in force here and it\u2019s really pretty extreme levels,\u201d said Freitag, who noted that visibility in some areas was reduced to a half mile.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s scary,\u201d Omar Mitchell, 50, said as he looked he looked to the sky. He wore a mask while walking to his restaurant in Detroit. \u201cYou don\u2019t know necessarily what the side effects may be. That\u2019s days or months later.\u201d<\/p>\n

Microscopic particles can lodge deep in the lungs and enter the bloodstream, leading to heart and lung problems and contributing to other long-term health issues.<\/p>\n

\"Person<\/a>A person uses binoculars to look out as smoke from wildfires blankets the sky at Top of The Rock observation deck at the Rockefeller Center, Thursday, July 16, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo\/Yuki Iwamura)<\/p>\n

In the New York City area, a thick haze tinged the morning sky in orange and yellow and\u00a0partly obscured<\/a>\u00a0Manhattan\u2019s skyline.<\/p>\n

City officials opened cooling centers as health officials urged New Yorkers to limit strenuous and prolonged outdoor activities. The city\u2019s schools, parks and other agencies moved activities indoors, rescheduled events and adjusted operations. State officials distributed tens of thousands of face masks at transit hubs and other major locations.<\/p>\n

Minnesota fires are spreading<\/p>\n

In Minnesota, forest rangers on Thursday combed a remote wilderness area for anyone who might still be there days after wildfires led to its closure.<\/p>\n

Officials closed the Boundary Waters along the U.S.-Canada border on Tuesday. At the time, 6,000 to 10,000 people were inside, but Superior National Forest staff estimated Wednesday that they\u2019d reached 90% of them, said Karen Harrison, a spokesperson for state and federal agencies involved in the response.<\/p>\n

She said Thursday that smoke is making it difficult for helicopters to fly, and fires are spreading despite firefighting efforts.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere will be fire on the landscape until fall, and some fire will be burning until snow cover,\u201d Harrison said.<\/p>\n

The Royal Canadian Air Force successfully evacuated 11 Minnesota teenagers and four staff members Wednesday from wildfires in an Ontario provincial park about 175 miles (282 kilometers) north of the Minnesota border.<\/p>\n

\t