Tuscarawas County emergency officials are monitoring air quality concerns tied to smoke from Canadian wildfires.
EMA Deputy Director Kami Stanley says her office has been in contact with the National Weather Service and the EPA to track conditions and pass along updates as needed. Smoke and degraded air quality will continue throughout Friday, with an air quality alert extended until midnight.
She says seniors, children, and people with compromised immune systems should use extra caution outdoors.
Stanley says the Weather Service also recommends checking that a home’s furnace filter has been changed within the last couple of months and limiting activities that add exhaust or emissions to the air.
Weather.gov says extended exposure to particulate matter and ground-level ozone can lead to headaches, irritated eyes and sinuses, fatigue, breathing problems, chest pain, asthma attacks, throat irritation, and increased coughing.
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