Smoke from Canada wildfires puts Massachusetts under air quality alert

Smoke from wildfires in eastern Canada has wafted into Massachusetts, prompting the state to issue an air quality alert, which is in effect from 12 a.m. Tuesday to 12 a.m. Wednesday.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, which issued the advisory, warns that the air conditions may be "unhealthy" for people with heart or lung disease, older adults, children, teenagers and people who are active outdoors.

"MassDEP is advising that people in sensitive groups should reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion, take more breaks, do less intense activities, follow asthma action plans, and keep quick relief medicine handy. Watch for symptoms such as coughing or shortness of breath," read an agency announcement.

Air quality alerts have also been issued for Connecticut and Rhode Island.

The smoke is from wildfires burning in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, according to the National Weather Service.

"Some people may be able to smell the smoke today. For the most part, I think people will see some hazy skies," said National Weather Service meteorologist Rob Megnia Tuesday morning.

He expects the smoke to clear by early Wednesday morning.

Hazy skies and the smell of smoke from different wildfires in Canada have plagued parts of Massachusetts for several weeks. Wildfires that broke out in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia led to an air quality alert last week. For several weeks in May, smog across New England came from wildfires in the western Canadian province of Alberta.