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Air Quality Alert For South Jersey, Pennsylvania Fueled By Wildfire

A massive 5,000-acre wildfire raging across Burlington and Ocean counties has contributed to an air quality alert in South Jersey and parts of Pennsylvania, authorities said.

The area circled from this satellite view shows high concentrations of smoke due to a wildfire at Bass River State Forest, according to the National Weather Service.

The area circled from this satellite view shows high concentrations of smoke due to a wildfire at Bass River State Forest, according to the National Weather Service.

Photo Credit: National Weather Service

Levels of fine particulates and ozone also will rise into the unhealthy zone for sensitive groups, according to the National Weather Service and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. 

If you have been outside Thursday, June 1 in southeast New Jersey or southern Delaware, you may have noticed extra smoke and the smell of fire in the air. 

While there is decreased air quality due to fires in Nova Scotia, Canada, the 5,000-acre wildfire in Bass River State Forest has caused more concentrated areas of smoke, such as the one circled, (SEE PHOTO) to spread across the southern part of the region, according to the National Weather Service.

As winds shift southeast, these areas of smoke may shift as well, the NWS in Mount Holly said.

If you find yourself in an area of decreased air quality as a result of the wildfire smoke, be aware of these potential impacts to your health and avoid spending time outdoors, particularly if you are sensitive to lower air quality, the weather service said.

Air quality alerts are effective in most of South Jersey through midnight Thursday, June 1, and many areas of northern central and southern New Jersey from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday, June 2.

Persistent high pressure will allow for increasing temperatures, mostly sunny skies, and light onshore winds. Therefore, ozone levels will begin to climb higher into the moderate category.

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