NEW YORK -- Air quality in New York City has plummeted so much in the past few days that the city has some of the worst air pollution on the planet — and the impact is visible in pictures. Smoke from wildfires burning hundreds of mile north in Canada sent a haze across the city, making the Statue of Liberty and the iconic skyline difficult to see from even a short distance.
Photos showed an orange sky Wednesday morning as the sun came up, and people wearing masks to help prevent adverse health effects. City leaders said the air quality has not been this bad since the 1960s, CBS News New York reported.
"This is an unprecedented event in our city, and New Yorkers must take precautions," said New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
More than 2 million acres were burning in a series of wildfires east of the San Francisco Bay Area. Smoke from the blazes had covered morning hours with a layer of darkness.
Smoke shrouds the sun as it rises behind the skyline of lower Manhattan and One World Trade Center in New York City on June 7, 2023, as seen from Jersey City, New Jersey.
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The Statue of Liberty is seen through smoke as wildfires in Canada cause hazy conditions in New York City on June 7, 2023.
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The Empire State Building is seen past a person wearing a face mask as smoke from the wildfires in Canada cause hazy conditions in New York City on June 7, 2023.
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Smoke shrouds the sun as it rises behind the skyline of Manhattan in New York City on June 7, 2023, as seen from Guttenberg, New Jersey.
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A woman wears a face mask as smoke continues to veil the sun as it rises behind the skyline of Manhattan in New York City on June 7, 2023, as seen from Weehawken, New Jersey.
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Heavy smoke shrouds buildings around Times Square in a view looking north from the Empire State Building as the sun sets on June 6, 2023, in New York City.
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Heavy smoke fills the air as people cross 34th Street in Herald Square on June 6, 2023, in New York City.
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Sarah Lynch Baldwin is an associate managing editor of CBSNews.com. She oversees "CBS Mornings" digital content, helps lead national and breaking news coverage and shapes editorial workflows.
