Canadian visiting NYC describes 'frightening' sight of city smothered in wildfire smoke

A Hamilton man visiting New York said the sight of the city smothered in heavy wildfire smoke on Wednesday was "quite frightening" and "freaky," making for a day he says he is sure to remember.

Trevor Sutton said he decided to go to Hurricane Point — a waterfront and scenic spot in Brooklyn that overlooks Manhattan — to take photos of a hazy New York skyline.

"When I went there, there was no view of midtown Manhattan at all," Sutton, 23, told CBC Hamilton via telephone on Thursday. 

Smoke from wildfires in Canada made it to parts of the U.S. in recent weeks, but intensified this week due to recent fires in Quebec.

"I was expecting to see maybe, like, a little haze over the city, but it looked like the skyline had completely disappeared," Sutton said. "I could see maybe the first row of buildings there, but nothing else behind it. It was really freaky to see.

"It was a day I will never forget, and I'm sure many New Yorkers won't forget either."

Sutton shared the following photos he took on Wednesday with CBC Hamilton:

On Wednesday, New York City had the worst air quality in the world.

With weather systems expected to barely budge, the smoky blanket billowing from wildfires in Quebec and Nova Scotia and sending plumes of fine particulate matter as far away as North Carolina and northern Europe were expected to persist possibly into the weekend.

The thick, hazardous haze is disrupting daily life for millions of people across the U.S. and Canada — blotting out skylines and turning skies orange.

'I was in complete shock'

Sutton, who lives in the Ainslie Wood area in West Hamilton, said this is his third visit to New York, his "favourite city in the world."

He said after the stop at Hurricane Point, he took a train back to Manhattan, and when he got off at 14th Street, he couldn't believe what he was seeing there as well.

"When I got out of that subway, I was in complete shock. I looked around — the whole city was just orange and brown," he said.

"The visibility was double, maybe triple as bad as it was when I was at Hurricane Point looking out there … everything looked like it had a sepia filter over it…. It was quite frightening."

Sutton said he felt at one point that he had chosen the wrong day to wear his Toronto shirt.

A New York Post banner headline Thursday morning poked fun at the smoky situation with the headline "Blame Canada!" But Sutton said he didn't come across anyone blaming his country. 

"People were concerned about, you know, if my family in Canada was doing OK and stuff," he said. 

Canada and the U.S. are working together to combat the wildfires — the U.S. has sent more than 600 firefighters and equipment to Canada.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke to U.S. President Joe Biden by phone on Wednesday. Trudeau's office said he thanked Biden for his support, and both leaders "acknowledged the need to work together to address the devastating impacts of climate change."

Environment Canada said the smokey air from wildfires engulfing Quebec and northeastern Ontario should dissipate by Sunday, as a low-pressure system is expected to bring in cleaner air.