Wednesday, June 7, 3 p.m.—Wilton Fire Chief/Emergency Management Director Jim Blanchfield issued an urgent alert Wednesday afternoon, warning that the smoke from the Canadian wildfires present in Connecticut has created “unhealthy” air quality conditions.

His alert said the dense smoke is projected to move into Connecticut over the next few hours with higher smoke density expected than was observed Tuesday, June 6.

The alert comes on the heels of the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) issuing an Air Quality Action Day for fine particulates through midnight tonight. An Air Quality Action Day means that fine particulate concentrations within the region may approach or exceed unhealthy standards.

CT-DEEP warned that the highest concentrations of smoke are expected to stay in Connecticut through the evening and into the early morning hours of Thursday.  Lower concentrations of smoke will linger through much of Thursday.

Blanchfield said his department will continue to monitor conditions and provide any updates as warranted.

The air in Wilton was hazy from smoke caused by raging wildfires in Canada, on June 7, 2023. Credit: GOOD Morning Wilton

Wilton Schools Restrict Outdoor Activities, Postpone WHS Lax Semi-Finals

Wednesday afternoon, Wilton Schools Superintendent Kevin Smith emailed parents, caregivers and teachers a message about the impact of the smoke on school activities. He said school officials restricted any outdoor activities after 1 p.m. on Wednesday and are continuing to monitor air quality conditions.

In addition, the CIAC State Tournament semifinal game in which the WHS varsity girls lacrosse team was scheduled to play on Wednesday was postponed until Thursday, June 8.

Wider Impact

Air quality has worsened along the eastern part of the United States, with the smoke from the Canadian blazes spreading from New Hampshire to as far as South Carolina.

Canadian Forest Fighting officials reported more than 400 fires burning across Canada, while air quality in New York City was ranked as the worst in the world as of 4 p.m., with an Air Qualitiy Index (AQI) of 353, according to IQAir.com. In comparison, Wilton’s AQI was

The Air Quality Index in Wilton as of 4 p.m. on June 7, 2023 was at an “unhealthy” level according to IQAir.com.
The Air Quality Index across the NYC Metro area as of 4 p.m. on June 7, 2023 showed New York City “hazardous” level, according to IQAir.com.