Mamdani: Stay Indoors as Wildfire Smoke Hits NYC
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- Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged all New Yorkers — not just those with asthma, heart conditions, or older adults — to limit outdoor time and avoid strenuous activity Thursday due to "unhealthy" air quality caused by smoke from Canadian wildfires.
- Mamdani said Thursday was "expected to be the worst day of this event," with the smoke coinciding with high temperatures, and canceled a planned pickup soccer game at Gracie Mansion because of the weather.
- The city will distribute free face masks at public libraries, firehouses, and police precincts, with locations available via a city website, by calling 311, or by texting "Notify NYC" to 692-692.
- Gov. Kathy Hochul issued a statewide air quality advisory Wednesday night covering the five boroughs plus Long Island, the Lower Hudson Valley, Central New York, eastern Lake Ontario, and western New York, with a "sensitive groups" warning for the Upper Hudson Valley and Adirondacks.
- New York State is distributing more than 100,000 N95-style masks at transit hubs including Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan.
- Mamdani explicitly linked the emergency to climate change, telling New Yorkers "this is very serious" and warning them not to proceed with their normal outdoor plans.
Why it matters: The combined city and state response — over 100,000 N95 masks at transit hubs plus free masks at libraries, firehouses, and precincts — reflects how seriously officials are treating this smoke event. Mamdani tied it directly to climate change, and the advisory now stretches from the five boroughs across Long Island to western New York, making it a regionwide emergency.
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