White House POSTPONES Betty Who pride concert as Washington DC is choked by smoke from Canada’s wildfires
- Pride Month concert now takes place on Saturday
- DC under Code Purple alert – meaning air quality is considered unhealthy
- Stay up to date with smoking-related news with the DailyMail.com Live Blog
The White House has canceled Thursday night’s planned outdoor Pride concert due to poor air quality in Washington DC due to wildfires in Canada.
“Today’s Pride event on the South Lawn of the White House is postponed to Saturday based on projected air quality in the region,” the White House said in a statement.
Australian-American musician, singer and songwriter Betty Who was scheduled to perform at the concert on the South Lawn of the White House. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden would be in attendance.
The smoky haze blanketing the East Coast has caused more than 1,000 flight cancellations. Washington DC Zoo is closed today and schools won’t let kids play outside.
Washington DC has been declared Code Purple – unhealthy air for everyone
The Washington DC region was declared Code Purple Thursday morning as residents woke up to a haze of smoke surrounding the area, which shrouded the city’s famous landmarks.
Code Purple means the air is unhealthy for everyone. It is the second worst of six color-coded levels in the Air Quality Index.
Betty Who was scheduled to perform at the White House Pride concert, which has been postponed to Saturday
Smoke from Canadian wildfires has blanketed the East Coast of the United States, causing health concerns. About 75 million Americans are currently on some level of air quality alert.
President Biden spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the matter on Wednesday.
There are more than 400 active wildfires on the Canadian border, with many of the fires burning for several weeks.
The hundreds of wildfires have scorched 9.4 million acres and displaced 120,000 people from their homes in an unusually early and intense start to the wildfire season.
A weather front blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean over Nova Scotia then sent the dangerous plumes south, where they quickly smothered many major hubs on the East Coast.
And with weather systems barely expected to budge, the smoky blanket billowing from Quebec and Nova Scotia sending plumes of fine particles to North Carolina and northern Europe should last through Thursday and possibly the weekend.
The White House in the haze and smoke caused by the wildfires in Canada
A map of the impact wildfire smoke has had on air quality on the East Coast. Purple parts are considered ‘dangerous’, red is ‘unhealthy’, orange is ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’ and yellow is ‘moderate’
WASHINGTON, DC: Members of the Marine Corps exercise under a hazy sky near the Lincoln Memorial
Canadian officials say this will be the nation’s worst wildfire season on record. It started early on drier-than-normal terrain and quickly accelerated. Smoke from the fires has been moving into the US since last month, but increased with recent fires in Quebec, where about 100 were deemed uncontrollable Wednesday.
Thursday night’s Pride Month concert was intended as a high-profile show of support at a time when the community feels under attack and the Biden administration is emphasizing its position as an ally.