DETROIT (WXYZ) — Detroit is taking emergency action as dangerous air quality levels continue to blanket the city, with officials urging residents to stay indoors and limit outdoor exposure as smoke from Northwest wildfires pushes conditions into the hazardous range.
Watch Randy Wimbley's video report:
Mayor Mary Sheffield approved an emergency purchase of 112,000 N95 and KN95 masks, which have been distributed to recreation centers across the city. Those centers are also serving as relief centers for residents without working air conditioning.
The city shut down Coleman A. Young Municipal Center to protect city workers, though essential services including police, fire and EMS continue operating normally.
"Today, we want to really reiterate to residents and Detroiters overall to please take this seriously. We know that right now air quality is hazardous for everyone, not just sensitive populations, and so we want to encourage residents to stay in their home if possible. If you do have to go outside, please wear a mask, but try to limit activity outside in general," Sheffield said.
Watch a press conference with Detroit officials below:
Sheffield is urging residents to stay indoors, keep windows and doors closed and wear a properly fitted N95 or KN95 mask if they must go outside. The poor air quality is especially dangerous for pregnant women, infants, children and older adults.
Chief Public Health Officer Ali Abazeed said the city has never seen air quality readings like this since the modern AQI system was established.
"Look, this is pretty unprecedented. We shattered records yesterday. The AQI, the modern AQI system that we use today, was established in 1999. We've never seen numbers like this in some parts of the city. We saw numbers above 600. In some parts of south Michigan we saw numbers exceeding 700 to 800. This is unprecedented," Abazeed said.
The city activated emergency alert messaging systems to advise residents of the health risks. Residents can sign up to receive alerts on the city's website.
Abazeed said the conditions driving the dangerous air quality may not be temporary.
"A lot of Canadian wildfires. So it's driven by some of these weather patterns that we're seeing and unfortunately, this is the new norm in many ways going forward," Abazeed said.
The hazardous conditions prompted city leaders to cancel several major events, including Friday's Occupy the Summer event, as well as Black Men's Wellness Day and the Public Safety Fun Day, both of which were scheduled for Saturday.
Residents picking up masks at the Northwest Activity Center described the toll the air quality has taken on their health.
Jim Carswell, a 75-year-old Detroit resident, said he had never seen conditions this bad in his time living in the city.
"I think it's real bad on your lungs. Be inhaling this, the smoke out here and along with the pollen and allergies and all that," Carswell said.
Darlene Ross, 62, said she has been carrying masks wherever she goes.
"I carry them where I go, everywhere I go. I'm 62 years old. I can't hardly breathe. Like they say, this stuff's stronger than one pack of cigarettes, so guess what it could do to you — kill you," Ross said.
Kim Mitchell described the physical symptoms she experienced from the air quality.
"My throat was itching. I was coughing, sinuses flaring up. I hurt in my chest. I was nauseous and my stomach still kind of hurts now coming outside smelling it," Mitchell said.
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