Nova Scotia wildfires prompt Air Quality Advisory for Maine

AUGUSTA, Maine (WABI) - The Maine Department of Environmental Protection has issued an Air Quality Advisory for Maine due to smoke from active wildfires in Nova Scotia.

Winds have moved smoke into the Gulf of Maine and will continue to move it ashore Tuesday afternoon and evening. The DEP says the smoke will move inland Tuesday night.

The DEP says 24-hour particle pollution concentrations are expected to reach moderate levels late Tuesday afternoon and into Wednesday. They say skies will be hazy, visibility may be reduced and the odor of smoke is likely.

According to the DEP, at elevated particle pollution levels, children, healthy adults who exert themselves, and individuals suffering from a respiratory disease can experience reduced lung function and irritation.

Canadian officials say, as of Tuesday morning, the Tantallon wildfire near Halifax is about three square miles in size and the Barrington Lake Wildfire in southern Nova Scotia is about 38 square miles in size. They say both fires are out of control.

Official say hundreds of homes and structures have been damaged.

For more information about Maine’s air quality, visit https://apps.web.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/dep/air/aqforecast/index.pl