Wildfire smoke: DC-area schools forced to cancel all outdoor activities
Jeremiah Poff
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Smoke from wildfires in Canada is forcing schools in the Washington, D.C., area to cancel all outdoor activities due to air quality concerns.
The air quality index for the Washington area was approaching 300 on Thursday morning, which is classified as “very unhealthy,” according to the government website AirNow.gov. At that air quality, people are encouraged to keep outdoor activities to a minimum, and those with respiratory and heart diseases are encouraged to avoid all “physical activities outdoors.”
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The smoke-filled air prompted a number of local school districts to restrict or cancel outdoor activities to ensure students were minimally exposed to poor air quality.
In Virginia, Loudoun County Public Schools, Fairfax County Public Schools, and Prince William County Public Schools canceled their scheduled outdoor activities, including recess. The districts also canceled all field trips to outdoor locations.
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District of Columbia Public Schools likewise canceled all outdoor activities on Thursday, including athletic practices and sports competitions. Images of major landmarks in the nation’s capital showed a city enveloped in haze.
The situation was similar in Maryland, where Montgomery County Public Schools and Prince George’s County Public Schools canceled all outdoor activities due to the smoke-filled air. Montgomery County also said, “Adjustments could be made to outdoor graduations.”