The Times Union reported about the horrible air conditions throughout the area on June 6, as smoke from Canadian wildfires could be seen everywhere. A state Department of Environmental Conservation official said at a virtual news conference on June 6 that it was the worst effects of wildfires in the area in over two decades. In 2002 similar smoke from Canadian wildfires also filled the Hudson Valley. DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said, “We are looking at an unprecedented fire season here — certainly unprecedented level of fire in the Canadian regions.... Today the sky is hazy. Visibility is terrible. And you can smell the smoke in the air.” That smoke is from about 100 wildfires in the Quebec area, which has left a yellowish haze locally. Officials are warning about so much particulate matter in the air that anyone with asthma, emphysema, and other cardiopulmonary disorders or heart disease should take extra caution. Seggos said, “If you’ve been out on the street today and walking around, you can probably experience impacts to your eyes, your nose, your throat.” Department of Health Director of Environmental Health Gary Ginsberg said said hospital admissions often rise when air quality reaches such bad levels. NYS Mesonet’s lead air quality researcher Bhupal Shrestha said we should expect more frequent smoke storms like this. “The frequency and intensity of such wildfire activities are increasing as a result of hotter and drier conditions due to climate change and studies have shown that this will continue into the future,” Bhupal said. “Wildfires and their impacts on air quality will be more of a continual issue for people to deal with.” A little rain fell later in the day June 6 over much of the area, clearing the air a bit. Read more about this story in the Times Union.