Fire at Newark Port Causes Smog in NYC

A large fire at the Port of Newark caused air quality to fall and smoke to be seen and smelled in New York City, NBC 4 reported Tuesday.

The fire began around 8 p.m. on Monday at a metal scrap recycling facility, and was still burning on Tuesday, with the fire still not under control as of noon, with heavy flames and thick smoke rising from the center of a mountain of metal junk like a volcano.

People as far as Queens reported they could smell and see smoke; the effects were most severe in Brooklyn and lower Manhattan. There have been a significant volume of phone calls to 911 over concern from the smoke.

Local air quality is an issue of concern, with air pollution levels their highest since wildfires over the summer. People with preexisting respiratory conditions are urged to be careful; the air quality index rose to 152, a level considered unhealthy for everyone, even those otherwise healthy. At that level, the EPA recommends people staying indoors as much as possible.

The city’s air quality index averaged 75 last month.

No injuries were reported, and the smoke is expected to drift offshore later today due to strong winds.