Editor’s note: The Baltimore Banner is providing this news free to all readers as a public service.

Baltimore and much of the surrounding region are under a code red air quality, meaning the air is unhealthy for all people.

The Maryland Department of the Environment said Wednesday morning people should limit time outdoors and especially heavy exertion outdoors. Sensitive groups, including older adults, children, people with respiratory or other conditions, should avoid being outdoors as much has possible.

The code red forecast is due to smoke coming down through the region from Canadian wildfires. It is making the sky hazy and filling the air with the scent of smoke.

If you must be outdoors for extended periods of time today, wearing a mask can help reduce irritation from the smoke that is in the air.

According to AirNow.gov, the air quality index in Baltimore is about 180. Anything above 100 is unsafe for sensitive groups, above 150 is dangerous for everyone. An air quality index above 200 is considered “very dangerous.”

Symptoms associated with exposure to the kind of poor air quality today include irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath. According to Airnow.gov, people with heart or lung disease, or older adults, are at increased risk of emergency room visits or even death due to exposure to the small particles that are in the air right now.

The current forecast for Baltimore and the surrounding region indicates the air quality should return to a code orange Thursday, meaning the air will be dangerous for sensitive groups but not for the general public.

The hazy conditions have been around for about a week or so, according to Ken Widelski, a senior meteorologist with the Baltimore-Washington office of the National Weather Service.

“It’s just the way the jet stream is aligned, it’s blowing the smoke off the fires and spreading it across our area,” he said. “As the fire burns more intensely, it gives off more smoke.”

The Baltimore area is also experiencing drought conditions. Droughts are measured on a scale of D1-D4, with D4 being the most severe. The Baltimore region is currently in a D1 drought.

“I would expect, over time, that a couple of rain events would bring the deficit under control and it would be back to normal. I would be surprised if this area saw severe drought conditions,” Widelski said.

The forecast for Baltimore right now is “pretty dry,” he said. There are chances of very isolated showers today, but there aren’t any significant rain events in the forecast until this weekend or early next week.

A photo caption with this article has been updated to reflect the smoke in the Baltimore region originates from the Canadian province of Quebec.

cody.boteler@thebaltimorebanner.com