New York State Takes Huge Step To Fight Increasing Wildfires

Many across New York will never forget the eerie orange-yellow skies brought on by smoke from the Canadian wildfires in late spring. New York and many parts of the United States experienced poor air quality and smoky, hazy skies, as plumes of smoke from wildfires in Quebec and Nova Scotia blanketed the state.

Earlier this past spring, New York experienced its own wildfires. The New York Department of Environmental Conservation says that from April 11 to 17, Forest Rangers were called to 26 wildfires in 16 counties across the state that burned nearly 1,000 acres of land.

But now, new detection equipment is being installed statewide to help officials issue alerts to the public when fires rage. According to officials, only part of the state had had this technology installed to begin with.

New York To Get Statewide Sensors to Detect Wildfires 

WETM says that a joint effort is underway to install air-quality sensors throughout the state of New York. According to Alistair Hayden, the Assistant Professor of Practice in the Department of Public and Ecosystem Health. 28 out of New York’s 62 counties did not have these air-quality sensors.

See Also: What Was New York State's Biggest Wildfire of All Time?

Columbia and Delaware were among the 28 counties that did not have coverage.

WETM says that soon state and federal agencies will be able to "observe smoke plumes in real time, collect data and issue precise and timely alerts to the public". This will help officials issue message and warnings to the public,

It will also allow the public, lawmakers, scientists, and government real-tile access to air-quality data, reports WETM. 

The new sensors will be linked them to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Fire and Smoke Map.

See Also: What County in the Hudson Valley Has Had the Most Natural Disasters

Other counties that did not have the air-quality sensors include; Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Franklin, Fulton, Genesee, Herkimer, Jefferson, Livingston, Madison, Montgomery, Orleans, Oswego, Otsego, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Schuyler, Seneca, Tioga, Washington, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates.