This week Baltimore residents coughed and sniffled their way through the days as the city dealt with the worst air quality in the area in recorded history.
Air quality levels got as high as 200 in the city, causing the Maryland Department of the Environment to issue a code red alert, meaning the air was unhealthy for all people.
“It’s been really crazy. I’ve had to bust out my inhaler. I have it on me right now,” said Phoenix Barber, a student at the Baltimore School for the Arts, as she was walking in Mt. Vernon on Thursday. “It felt like I swallowed a porcupine at one point. It was so, like, prickly and it made my throat, like, close in at one point. So, I had a lot of coughing and just, uncomfortable.”
Barber wasn’t alone.
Carley Pysher was out walking her dog in the smog, but wearing a mask to protect her lungs.
“I know [the air quality is] a level of red. I’m not super educated on what that means, but I just wanted to protect myself,” she said.
Particles in the air reached 27 times the World Health Organization’s health guidelines on Wednesday and Thursday.
However, not everyone was that worried about it.
“Ah, today’s just a little heavy. You can smell the smoke. But as long as it’s not heavy and we can still see buildings, I don’t think it’ll bother us,” said Steve Drake, a delivery truck driver, who said he spends most of his day outside.
By Friday some of the smoke dissipated. But, Baltimore is still at a code yellow air quality level. That means people who are unusually sensitive.
Kevin Estep is one of them, he had a double lung transplant in 2019.
“My semi pro (football) team is playing for the championship this weekend. And I had practice scheduled for today and tomorrow. So I had to shut it down for these two days,” he said.
Estep says doctors are likely to hospitalize him even for a small cold due to his transplant.
“I knew that today wasn't a good one for me. So that's why I called my doctor and see what's the best thing for me to do. And he basically shut me down. Totally,” he said.
The city has already taken precautions against the smog. Free masks are being handed out at homeless shelters.
Baltimore schools canceled outdoor recess and are asking staff to keep windows closed.
The city is discouraging people from holding events and exercising outdoors.
Even though air quality is improving, there are still more than 420 wildfires blazing in Canada, meaning it's possible smoke could choke the region again.
