WASHINGTON — Masks are back in the DMV as residents all over seek respite from the smoky air pouring in from Canadian wildfires.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) is telling residents that its trains and buses filter the air its riders breathe.
They said there may be smoke inside the Metro stations, but they added that their trains and buses "are equipped with advanced filtration systems" that scrub 98% of pollutants out of the air.
Metro said the smoke shouldn't impact its service, but the agency is monitoring conditions.
A smoky haze settled in over metro Washington and other parts of the region due to more than 100 wildfires in eastern Canada. An area of low pressure just off the east coast is steering winds in the DMV's direction from the wildfire region.
The DMV and much of the Northeast has seen air quality plummet as smoke is blown in from the Canadian province of Quebec.
As of 4 p.m. Thursday, the air quality index in Washington D.C. was right on the border of "unhealthy" to "unhealthy" ranges. Earlier in the day it had escalated to a "hazardous" level.