Maryland air quality worsens as wildfire smoke drifts in. Here’s how to protect yourself.

Maryland health experts are urging residents to stay indoors Friday as wildfire smoke pushes air quality to dangerous levels, warning that even healthy people could experience breathing problems and other effects.

The Maryland Department of the Environment expects to issue Code Red air quality alerts, meaning the air is unhealthy for everyone, for most of the state. Western Maryland is expected to reach Code Purple, one of the agency’s highest air quality warnings.

The smoke could persist into Saturday, but chances of rain may mitigate the air quality issues, forecasters said. The triple-digit heat is expected to end Friday, but highs in the low 90s combined with smoky skies will continue to pose health risks.

Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos, a pulmonologist at Johns Hopkins Medicine, said the best way to protect yourself is by limiting time spent outside. Officials in cities including New York and Philadelphia are recommending residents wear masks and cancel outdoor events. But Galiatsatos said masks will not protect against the “very refined” particles that have traveled from Canada.

“When you breathe them in, they will get deep into your lungs and maybe even into your bloodstream,” Galiatsatos said.

The last time Canadian wildfire smoke blanketed Maryland, in the summer of 2023, the University of Maryland Medical System saw a 20% increase in heart- and lung-related medical issues compared with the same period in previous years, according to University of Maryland research. The six-day stretch of poor air quality also cost the health system an estimated $2.4 million.

State officials say this week’s smoke is expected to contain lower concentrations of fine particulate matter than the 2023 event, though it could linger longer because of weather conditions, said Joel Dreessen, a meteorologist with the Maryland Department of the Environment.

People with lung and heart disease are at the highest risk, Galiatsatos said, and the effects of breathing in the small particulate matter can show up days later.

He recommends that all people stay inside during the middle of the day, when the temperatures and sun exposure are high. It is especially important for the most sensitive groups: children, older people, pregnant people and those with underlying conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other lung conditions.

If you have to get in your car Friday, he said to switch your vehicle’s ventilation so it reuses air within the car instead of pulling it from outside. Also, keep the windows and doors in your home closed.

Galiatsatos said you should seek medical help if you are experiencing chest pains or feeling breathless. If other symptoms persist after the air quality event, call your primary care physician.

To protect your eyes, the American Society of Ophthalmic Trauma recommends wearing wraparound glasses or goggles if you have to go outdoors. If your eyes become dry, itchy or begin to burn, the group said, it is best to flush them with cool water or saline solution and avoid rubbing them.