Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced elevated air quality levels due to wildfires in southern Cumberland County. DEP expects air quality to be in the high Code Yellow to Code Orange range for periods of time Friday as the smoke descends into the valleys of Cumberland County, specifically along the I-81 corridor.
Pennsylvania residents in the areas impacted the most from smoke should limit their outdoor activities. Children, sensitive populations such as older people, those who exercise or work outdoors and those with lung or respiratory conditions such as asthma, emphysema, or bronchitis should avoid prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion.
As of Friday afternoon, April 25, 2025, wildfires continue to burn across eastern and southern Cumberland County. As a result of the very dry conditions that have persisted across southcentral Pennsylvania in 2025 and an area of high pressure over the region, the wildfires will continue to produce smoke that will linger over the area. DEP anticipates elevated air quality levels due to fine particulate matter.
The weather pattern on Friday will change during the day, leading to an improvement in the air quality. The area of high pressure that persisted over the region on Thursday will give way to rain during the afternoon and evening hours on Friday. As a result, the smoke’s greatest impact was expected to be during the morning hours on Friday.
To track the air quality in real-time, visit the US EPA Airnow website at https://www.airnow.gov. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Air Quality Index (AQI) provides standardized color codes for forecasting and reporting daily air quality. Green signifies good air quality; Yellow means moderate air quality; Orange represents unhealthy pollution levels for sensitive groups of people; and Red warns of unhealthy pollution levels for all.
For more information, visit DEP at www.ahs.dep.pa.gov/AQPartnersWeb and EPA’s AirNow at www.airnow.gov.
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