Calls roll into 911 center as Canadian wildfires impact air quality in Rochester
Gary CraigAs the skies turned a hazy yellow, and the airs became more acrid in smell and taste, the calls began to roll into the local 911 center.
There were calls of unusual smoke in the area. There were calls of smoky odors, perhaps the offspring, the callers assumed, of a nearby fire of consequence.
Instead, the origin of the change in air quality were the Canadian wildfires, hundreds of miles away. By late afternoon Tuesday, there had been around two dozen calls to emergency communications from suburban and city residents, according to county officials.
This wasn't an overburdening amount of calls for emergency officials, but it was yet another indicator of the reach of the wildfires. And, more of this is expected for another day, if not longer.
The National Weather Service reports that another "plume of smoke" could produce similar conditions for Wednesday.