EYEWITNESS WEATHER (WBRE/WYOU) — Canadian wildfire smokes continues to impact northeastern and central Pennsylvania Wednesday, what can you do to stay safe?

The wildfire smoke will lead to a very hazy and smoky sky. With the smoke reaching ground level, this will greatly reduce air quality to ‘unhealthy’ and ‘very unhealthy’ levels.

Thick smoke will continue to blanket our area Wednesday afternoon and evening, improving some overnight and Thursday.

Here’s a closer look at what’s happening and some suggested precautions for dealing with the haze:

WHAT’S HAPPENING?

Smoke from Canada’s wildfires has been moving into the United States since last month. The most recent fires near Quebec have been burning for at least several days.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said hazy skies, reduced visibility and the odor of burning wood are likely, and that the smoke will linger for a few days in northern states.

The Quebec-area fires are big and relatively close, about 500 to 600 miles (roughly 800 to 970 kilometers) away from Rhode Island. And they followed wildfires in Nova Scotia, which resulted in a short-lived air quality alert on May 30.

WHAT’S THE BIGGEST CONCERN?

Air quality alerts are triggered by a number of factors, including the detection of fine-particle pollution — known as “PM 2.5” — which can irritate the lungs.

WHO SHOULD BE CAREFUL?

Exposure to elevated fine particle pollution levels can affect the lungs and heart.

The air quality alerts caution “sensitive groups,” a big category that includes children, older adults, and people with lung diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR NOW?

It’s a good time to put off that yard work and outdoor exercise. If you go out, consider wearing an N95 mask to reduce your exposure to pollutants.

Stay inside, keeping your doors, windows, and fireplaces shut. It’s recommended that you run the air conditioning on a recirculation setting.

HOW DOES THE REST OF THE WEEK LOOK?

Some rain may be expected on Thursday and Friday in sections of Pennsylvania. While each day won’t be a washout, a few showers and a thunderstorm are in the forecast.