The state Department of Environmental Protection has announced a second consecutive "Code Orange Air Quality Action Day" for Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025 as smoke from Canadian wildfires is expected to persist across most of central and eastern Pennsylvania.
The warning means air quality could be unhealthy for sensitive groups, including young children, the elderly, and those with respiratory problems such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis. They are advised to limit outdoor activities.
DEP's advisory covers 42 counties blanketing a wide swath of the state from rural northcentral Pennsylvania all the way to Philadelphia, including all of Northeast Pennsylvania.
Canada is experiencing its second worst wildfire season on record, NPR reports,
citing government data showing that there have been almost 4,000 fires recorded already this calendar year.
Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre reported that more than 700 active fires were burning across Canada on Sunday, mostly in the southern province of Manitoba, directly to the north of Minnesota, NPR reports. The agency says more than 500 are burning out of control.
Air quality in several U.S. states has been affected.
What do the color codes mean?
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index (AQI) provides standardized color codes for forecasting and reporting daily air quality, DEP said:
- Green signifies good air quality
- Yellow means moderate air quality
- Orange represents unhealthy pollution levels for sensitive groups of people
- Red warns of unhealthy pollution levels for all
- Purple is "very unhealthy"
- Maroon is labeled hazardous.
An "Air Quality Action Day" is declared when the AQI is forecasted to be Code Orange or higher, DEP said.
While those who are vulnerable are advised to stay indoors and limit activity on Tuesday, DEP officials also have advice for residents and businesses.
They are strongly encouraged to voluntarily help reduce fine particulate matter air pollution by avoiding the use of gas-powered lawn and garden equipment; avoiding the open burning of leaves, trash, and other materials; and reducing or eliminating fireplace and wood stove use.
Learn more and protect yourself
- Residents are encouraged to check www.airnow.gov for current conditions in their area.
- This NPR story explains the health risks of breathing wildfire smoke, and offers guidance on protecting yourself from it.
