Smoke From Quebec Fires Wafts Over Boston

May 31, 2010

Joggers run along the Charles on Monday. Behind them, the Boston skyline is obscured by the smoky haze from wildfires in Canada. (Jess Bidgood for WBUR)

Eastern Massachusetts is under an air quality alert until 8 p.m. Monday night as smoke from almost 60 wildfires in Quebec drifts down the Eastern seaboard.

Winds from the northwest have been carrying the smoke from 57 different fires down to the Greater Boston area, casting a smelly haze over Memorial Day barbecues and other outdoor activities.

Smoky haze has cut visibility in Boston. Here, the Boston skyline is barely discernable behind the Boston University West MBTA stop on Commonwealth Avenue. (Jess Bidgood for WBUR)

Neil Strauss, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service, says the smoke is expected to clear by Monday night.

"This evening as the winds finally begin to shift around more to the south, we will see improvement in air quality, but that won't be until after 8:00 tonight," Strauss said.

More than a dozen firefighters from New Hampshire and Maine have gone to Canada to help battle the forest fires.

Individuals with respiratory issues are advised to stay indoors until the air improves.

This program aired on May 31, 2010. The audio for this program is not available.