for the last two days Jersey Skies have looked like a scene straight out of a sci-fi movie the Erie yellowish Haze blanketing the sky is the result of Canadian wildfires hundreds of miles away air quality index readings in some towns in New Jersey today were not just unhealthy but veered into hazardous territory meaning pollution levels posed a risk not only to vulnerable residents but to the general public as well the poor air quality is forcing schools and sports programs to cancel outdoor activities some K-12 schools are closed today and a handful of New Jersey colleges went remote the toxic air is also impacting travel with the FAA delaying flights at Newark Airport due to low visibility and speed restrictions enforced on some bridges State Health and environmental officials are urging residents to stay indoors and limit strenuous activity throughout this evening will wear masks if they must venture outside especially with people with underlying health conditions today the governor reiterated those warnings at a news conference where our Ted Goldberg has the latest I was on with the Canadian authorities last evening and the scale of this is extraordinary they said they had 10 million Acres burning that that number was going to go up they believed to 12 million the Canadian wildfires are now nearly double the size of the entire state of New Jersey casting an orange Haze Over the Garden State over the last couple of days yesterday's air quality was New Jersey's worst in 43 years which is as far back as Federal records go it canceled pro sports games grounded flights and caused health issues Statewide what we're seeing is people complaining of off shortness of breath wheezing particularly in those with asthma or COPD emphysema those kind of things Catherine Monteleone specializes in allergies and Immunology at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School like other health experts she recommends people stay indoors or wear an n95 mask if they have to go outside so you can be indoors and still get a headache from these it seeps through the windows and you know I could smell it in my office yesterday so these particles are very small so they they get in and then they get in your lungs and then they can actually get into the rest of your body you're breathing in microscopic particles called particle pollution and when that gets into your your body for your lungs it's like taking a piece of sandpaper and rubbing it on your lung tissue these are particles smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter uh so just for reference a human hair is about 60 70 microns thick the accurate effect of millions of these particles are creating health problems visibility problems they're also sending more people to the hospital according to New Jersey's Commissioner of Health we did notice yesterday 143 individuals seeking care for asthma related problems which is the highest number that we've had on average in the last two months New Jersey's air quality was slightly better today compared to yesterday but leaders say it could take a few more days for the haze to dissipate depending on wind and the weather Governor Murphy says events like the Canadian wildfires make it more important for people to embrace Greener technology unfortunately this is our new reality that disturbing orange Haze in the sky that smell of smoke and that burning in our throats those are clear warning signs that the status quo cannot continue as our climate changes the best available science indicates that events like this are likely to increase so we must all work to be aware and ready to respond while we all do everything we can to reduce the impacts of climate change the widespread nature of this air quality event and the intensity of it is unprecedented so to put it in context you know this hazardous level of the aqi the maroon color for us this is I mean for when I say not just New Jersey but even for most of the U.S this doesn't happen Governor Murphy says people should visit airnow.gov for updates on air quality where they live in Newark I'm Ted Goldberg NJ Spotlight news [Music]