Episode 11: The Day the the Sky Turned Orange in NYC

Where were you the day the sky turned orange? If you were in New York City on the afternoon of June 7th, I’m sure you remember how strange and eerie that whole experience was. On this episode, we reflect on the June 2023 wildfire smoke event in New York City.

Transcript

Hey and welcome to another episode of Inhale, Exhale, an air quality podcast. I’m Ms. Carmen, a science educator in Brooklyn, NY, and your host. At the time of recording this episode, the temperature is 68 degrees Fahrenheit, which is roughly 20 Celsius. Our AQI right now is 11.


Before we begin, I just want to take a moment to thank everyone who’s been listening and sharing the podcast, and I want to acknowledge that it’s been more than a hot minute since the last episode. Since that time, I’ve enrolled in graduate studies for Earth & Environmental Sciences with a particular focus on air quality. My goal is to learn more so I can explain more. Now… If you were here in New York City on that particular week in June 2023, then you already know what today’s episode is about. If you weren't here, then you need to know that our skies literally turned orange, the air smelled like a fresh campfire, and for a few days, New York had some of the worst air quality in the world.

Welcome to episode 11 of the podcast.


June 2023. Did you know that the smoke we were breathing in came from wildfires burning more than a thousand miles away in Canada? Those fires, fueled by drought and record-breaking heat, released massive amounts of fine particulate matter that travelled incredible distances and covered the entire state. A weather system carried it here.

What made June 2023 so alarming wasn’t just that the air got bad. It’s that it got that bad that quickly. Our Air Quality Index (the AQI) jumped from moderate to hazardous within a few short hours. At one point, it hit over 400 in parts of the city. For context, anything above 300 is considered dangerous for anyone who breathes air, regardless of health status.


That week showed us something really important: climate events don’t care about borders. A wildfire burning in a whole other country can (and did) impact our health right here at home.

If you were in New York City on the afternoon of June 7th, I’m sure you remember how strange and eerie that whole experience was. The sun looked dim, the sky glowed a deep orange, and the smell of burned wood was absolutely everywhere. I could smell it on my hair and clothes once I got home. It was terrible. The next day, schools canceled recess, people wore masks again, and we were encouraged to stay indoors because the air outside wasn’t safe.

But here’s the thing, staying indoors didnt necessarily mean it was safer there. For a lot of New Yorkers, that smoke made its way inside their homes through leaky windows, old ventilation systems, or aging building infrastructure. So even though the advice was to stay home, many apartments, schools, and offices weren’t equipped to keep the polluted air out. It almost made no difference to stay indoors. This is where we start to see how air quality isn't just about the outdoor air, it’s about the quality of the air inside too.

Now, while the smoke event did affect everyone, it didn’t do so equitably. Entire neighborhoods, composed mostly of low-income areas and communities of color, were already dealing with higher baseline pollution on a regular day. During the June 2023 smoke event, these communities experienced compounding impacts. Not only was the air outside hazardous to breathe, older housing infrastructure and limited access to air conditioning meant closing the windows on a hot June day wasn’t exactly possible. The very communities already carrying a higher air pollution burden were the least able to protect themselves. This isn’t just a coincidence, and it isn’t an accident, it’s by design. It’s called environmental injustice, and it’s something I’m personally getting tired of seeing in action.

Moving forward on this podcast, I want to be clear that when I talk about air quality and air pollution, I’m not just talking about the air. I’m talking about equity; who gets access to clean air and who doesn’t.


So let’s talk. About public communication. That week, information absolutely did not go out fast enough or clearly enough. The hazardous air quality event was already in-progress, and many New Yorkers didn’t even understand what the Air Quality Index meant or what they were supposed to do about it. And its not their fault. Environmental literacy isn’t something most of us were ever taught, and right now the public is being asked to become quick experts on a topic with limited resource access. We know to check the weather, but not necessarily to check the air and what it all means.

When the air quality alerts finally did go out, they were mainly online, in English, and easy to miss if you were at work or not subscribed to NotifyNYC. That’s something we really need to address, because how can you protect yourself when you don’t even have access to the information?

We absolutely need better, clearer, and more inclusive communication about air quality, long before the next air emergency event. We have the technology to measure how the air is doing, why not fill in the gaps of understanding and get us all on the same page?

The June 2023 wildfire smoke event exposed a whole heap of issues that I think about a lot. Our city is old, and most buildings weren’t designed with air pollution in mind. They do an excellent job keeping out rain and cold air, but not necessarily fine particulate matter.

In response to the smoke event, folks used their home air purifier, or even built their own. But not everyone had the resources, time, or materials to make one. Outdoor mask usage was highly recommended during this time, but distribution points to access them were limited to a handful of locations around the boroughs. So if you didn’t already have a mask at home, or were unable to source one, then you were out of luck.

But here’s the thing: smoke events are going to happen again. In fact, they already have. Although not as dramatic, the same Canadian wildfires affected our air quality twice during June 2023. Once at the start of the month, and once at the end. Each smoke event consisted of two or more days of high particulate matter in the air, with AQI readings of 151 and above and air quality alerts being issued. 

So how can we prepare for a future where unpredictable and more intense wildfire seasons will result in more smoke events?

The answer lies in education and preparation. Its not enough to respond to an emergency while in the midst of it. We need to provide knowledge and information ahead of time so that we can be empowered to decide for ourselves how to respond. Equitable, affordable access to upgraded ventilation systems and portable air purifiers is a must. If the Covid pandemic taught us anything, its that what’s in the air we breathe matters. Improved air filtration systems in movie theaters and museums are two ways that New York City responded to addressing indoor air quality concerns. Its been a great approach, and we can do more. Public buildings, like community centers and libraries, can double as clean-air shelters during high air pollution days, much like how cooling centers work on heat emergency days.


There’s a lot we can learn about the day the sky turned orange. Here are my key takeaways- That day, we could see, smell, and breathe in the fact that wildfire smoke can travel thousands of miles. You don’t have to live anywhere near a forest to be affected.

The quality of the air matters, and understanding the Air Quality Index is important. I cover the basics of the AQI in episode 3 of the podcast. If you don’t already do so, I suggest downloading an app that allows you to easily check the AQI. My top favorite is PurpleAir, closely followed by AirNow.

Even with all the education and preparation we can throw at it, its important to acknowledge that not everyone has the same level of access to clean air. It’s important that we advocate for clean-air policies and support communities that face the biggest risks.

Prepare your space. If you can, invest in a home air purifier that uses a MERV-13 or HEPA filter. You can also make a DIY purifier known as a Corsi-Rosenthal Box. 


Possibly the most important and impactful thing we can do is start conversations. Talk about air quality with your friends, neighbors, and coworkers. The quality of the air we breathe is important and awareness of this is the first step toward action.



When I think back to those orange skies, I remember how eerily quiet the city felt. Fewer people were outside, the sunlight was dim, and it felt like the air itself was reminding us how fragile and interconnected this system really is. The June 2023 wildfire smoke event showed us that air quality isn’t just an environmental concern, its much bigger than it. It’s a public health concern, a housing issue, an educational need, and a justice issue all at once.

If we treat clean air as a basic human right and not a luxury, my hope is that we can build communities that are better prepared, better informed, and healthier in the long run.

Thank you for listening to Inhale, Exhale, a podcast about the air we breathe. If you found today’s episode interesting or helpful, please share it with someone who remembers those orange skies, or someone who never realized what was really happening. Have a question or comment? Send it to airqualitypodcast@gmail.com 

Until next time, this is Ms. Carmen signing off! Take care of yourselves, stay informed, and breathe easy… when you can.