Schools are closed and games are postponed. Here's what's affected by the wildfire smoke – and when they may resume
Parts of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and other states were blanketed in smoke and an eerie orange glow after smoke from Canadian wildfires seeped into the U.S. The air quality was so bad in some areas it prompted advisories, with officials urging people to limit time outside and to wear masks. Some schools were canceled and outdoor events were postponed – here's what else was impacted by the smoke.
School closings
Some schools were closed Thursday after the wildfire smoke wreaked havoc on the Tri-State area Wednesday. New Jersey's Newark Public Schools were closed, as were surrounding school districts like Elizabeth and schools in New York towns such as Long Beach and Yonkers.
Many schools, including New York City public schools, also canceled outdoor activities like recess on Wednesday and Thursday. Some public schools in the city were already set to be closed on June 8 and 9 due to conferences and clerical days and on Thursday, New York City Public Schools announced that schools scheduled to have classes would pivot to remote learning.
Some colleges, like Fairleigh Dickinson in New Jersey, opted for remote lessons on Thursday. Others, like Adelphi on Long Island, completely canceled classes.
In Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., public school outdoor activities, like field days and field trips, were moved indoors or canceled on Thursday. The Philadelphia Public School system encouraged students to wear masks during their commutes.
Baseball games
Outdoor sports like baseball were most affected by the wildfire smoke. The Yankees-White Sox game at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx was postponed on Wednesday, as was the Phillies-Tigers game at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Both were games were rescheduled one day to June 8.
- See which New York, Philadelphia and Washington sports were canceled Thursday
Broadway shows
Broadway shows like "Hamilton" and "Camelot" were canceled Wednesday, with refunds or exchanges offered for ticket holders. Shows were expected to resume Thursday, June 8, Broadway news publication Playbill reports.
A performance of "Prima Facie" was even paused Wednesday when lead Jodie Comer said she couldn't breathe. The show did resume, but with the star's understudy, according to Playbill.
The last time multiple Broadway shows shut down was in March 2020, when the start of the COVID-19 pandemic had theaters shutting their doors. That time, shows didn't resume for a year and a half in order to try to prevent the spread of the virus.
Outdoor dining
After many officials, like New York City Mayor Eric Adams, urged people to limit outdoor activity, some restaurants decided to not offer outdoor dining or to make changes, like turning on fans, to try and keep the smoke at bay.
Birria Landia, which has three taco restaurant locations across New York, chose to close their Manhattan location on Wednesday due to the wildfires. They were expected to reopen on Thursday at 5 p.m.
Brooklyn restaurant Honey's also chose to close due to the smoke on Wednesday, and Puma decided to postpone an event at Brooklyn sandwich joint Regina's.
Zoos and other attractions
All four major zoos in New York City – Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo and NY Aquarium – closed at at 3 p.m. on Wednesday and remained closed Thursday "out of concern for our staff, visitors and animals," the Bronx Zoo tweeted.
Due to the continued high air quality index caused by the Canadian wildfires, all the WCS parks – Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, and New York Aquarium – will be closed today, June 8, for the safety of our staff, visitors and animals. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/95NKA6EYAk
— Bronx Zoo (@BronxZoo) June 8, 2023
The National Zoo in Washington, D.C. was also closed on Thursday, the zoo said in a tweet.
Shakespeare in the Park, which brings plays to Central Park's Delacorte Theater, canceled performances of "Hamlet" on Thursday and Friday.
The Brooklyn Public Library closed all locations early – at 3:30 p.m. – on Wednesday. Brooklyn Information & Culture, also known as BRIC, which puts on events in the borough, canceled a concert in Prospect Park on Wednesday.
New York Racing Association canceled a horse race at Belmont Park on Thursday due to poor air quality. The decision came after PETA released a statement urging the cancellation of the race in order to protect the horses.
When will events resume?
The decision to close businesses or postpone events are made individually. The air quality in affected states was expected to remain at an unhealthy level throughout Thursday, which could continue to impact events.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said the city's health advisory had been extended until 11:59 p.m. Thursday and the city remained at an unhealthy level – or code red – according to Air Now, which monitors the quality of air.
Air quality is in the 'Unhealthy', 'Very Unhealthy', and 'Hazardous' categories across our area today according to the EPA due to wildfire smoke from wildfires burning in Canada. #NYwx #CTwx #NJwx pic.twitter.com/GtCK3aOlcG
— NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) June 7, 2023
Philadelphia and Washington, D. C., remained at a very unhealthy level – or code purple – as did southern New Jersey cities, such as Atlantic City.
Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said the air quality in the area could worsen into Friday. The Philadelphia Public Health Department said the smoke in the air was expected to lessen on Thursday, but it could still be dangerous.
According to the National Weather Service station in Mount Holly, New Jersey, the "highest concentrations of smoke should be dissipating through the morning hours and into the afternoon across the region." Still, NWS said that on Thursday evening, the haze and smoke could become more dense.
The NWS station in New York City reported that there wouldn't be much change to the weather pattern throughout the weekend and northerly winds would continue to direct smoke from Canada to parts of the U.S.
It's not just the Mid-Atlantic states feeling the effects of the wildfires. Detroit and Cleveland were at a code orange on Thursday, meaning air quality was unhealthy for sensitive groups, according to Air Now.
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Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift.
