Dense smoke is expected to begin clearing Saturday afternoon, but children, older adults and people with heart or lung conditions should remain cautious through the weekend.

Delaware residents are being urged to limit strenuous outdoor activity Friday as smoke from Canadian wildfires pushes fine-particle pollution into the unhealthy range across the First State.

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control forecast a Code Red Air Quality Action Day for particulate matter Friday, July 17. The state projected a fine-particle Air Quality Index of 186, a level considered unhealthy for everyone.

The smoke is expected to begin gradually clearing Saturday afternoon and evening as winds shift and scattered thunderstorms help mix cleaner air into the region. However, dense smoke may remain trapped near the ground Saturday morning, keeping conditions unhealthy for sensitive groups during the first half of the day.

DNREC forecasts a PM2.5 index of 102 for Saturday, placing air quality in the Code Orange category, or unhealthy for sensitive groups. Conditions are expected to improve to moderate Sunday and Monday, although thin smoke and haze could remain over Delaware.

New Castle County is expected to experience the greatest impact from the wildfire smoke, particularly in Wilmington, Newark and Bear, where fine-particle pollution may remain concentrated near the ground. Kent County, including Dover and Smyrna, is expected to see a moderate impact. Conditions in Sussex County may range from light to moderate depending on wind direction, with Milford, Georgetown and Laurel likely to experience less severe smoke than northern Delaware.

Why the air is unhealthy

The primary concern is PM2.5, microscopic particles with diameters of 2.5 micrometers or smaller. The particles are produced when trees and other organic materials burn and can travel hundreds or thousands of miles from the original fire.

Because the particles are so small, they can enter the lungs and, in some cases, affect the cardiovascular system. The smoke also contains gases and other pollutants, but federal health officials consider fine-particle pollution the greatest immediate health concern during most wildfire-smoke events.

Light northerly winds carried the dense smoke into Delaware. A temperature inversion — a layer of warmer air above cooler surface air — also helped trap the pollution close to the ground, allowing smoke concentrations to build during the morning.

Saturday’s approaching warm front is expected to turn winds toward the south and southwest. Thunderstorms may also help disperse the smoke. A cold front Sunday could carry a thinner plume back into Delaware, while light winds Monday may allow some haze to linger.

Who should be most careful

Code Red means some members of the general public may experience health effects, while people in sensitive groups face a greater chance of more serious symptoms.

Those at higher risk include:

• Children and teenagers, particularly those with asthma.
• Adults 65 and older.
• People with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or other lung conditions.
• People with heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes.
• Pregnant women.
• Outdoor workers and people exercising or playing sports outside.
• People who do not have reliable access to filtered indoor air.

Children are more vulnerable because their lungs are still developing, they are often more active outdoors and they inhale more air relative to their body weight. Older adults are more likely to have existing heart or lung conditions that can be aggravated by smoke.

Symptoms to watch for

Wildfire smoke can cause burning or watery eyes, a runny nose, throat irritation, coughing, headaches and fatigue.

More concerning symptoms include wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, an irregular heartbeat or becoming unusually winded during light activity. People with asthma may need their rescue inhalers more frequently, while those with heart disease may face an increased risk of serious cardiovascular problems.

Anyone experiencing severe chest pain, significant difficulty breathing, confusion, fainting or signs of a heart attack or stroke should seek immediate medical assistance.

How residents can reduce exposure

Residents can lower their exposure by moving exercise and other strenuous activities indoors, keeping windows and doors closed and running air conditioning on a recirculation setting.

Portable air cleaners or high-efficiency heating and cooling filters may help reduce smoke particles indoors. People who must spend extended periods outside may consider a properly fitted N95 respirator, although masks do not eliminate all exposure and are less effective when they do not seal tightly against the face.

Healthy adults are generally less likely to experience serious problems from a brief smoke event, but federal health officials advise everyone to reduce exposure when the air reaches Code Red.

TO GO BOX

• What: Delaware Code Red Air Quality Action Day for fine-particle pollution
• When: Friday, July 17, with Code Orange conditions expected Saturday morning
• Expected improvement: Smoke should begin dispersing Saturday afternoon and evening. Moderate air quality is forecast Sunday and Monday, although haze may linger.
• Who should take extra care: Children, older adults, pregnant women, outdoor workers and people with asthma, COPD, heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes
• What to do: Limit strenuous outdoor activity, keep windows closed, use recirculated or filtered indoor air and check current conditions before exercising or working outside
• More information: Check DNREC’s Air Quality Forecast page or EPA’s AirNow service. Delaware health questions may be directed to the Division of Public Health at 302-744-4700.

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Why Should Delaware Care?
A recent police shooting of a 19-year-old in northeast Wilmington has become one of the city’s highest-profile use-of-force cases in years. A Delaware Department of Justice investigation into the incident is expected to be closely watched as residents look for answers and justice.

The family of Kadir Skinner, the 19-year-old who was fatally shot by Wilmington police last month, announced Tuesday they will seek $25 million from the city in a wrongful death lawsuit.  

The announcement was made during a press conference the family held with their attorneys on the same day that state and city officials released body camera footage from the night Skinner was shot. 

The footage shows a chaotic 28 seconds between the moment the shooting officer leaves his vehicle to chase Skinner, before firing his weapon and handcuffing the wounded teen on the pavement of a Wilmington street. Another three-and-a-half minutes pass after Skinner was shot before officers place him into a patrol car and take him to Wilmington Hospital, where he died. 

During the press conference, the family’s attorney Harry Daniels referenced that the video also shows a loose dog behind Skinner as the officer begins his pursuit.  

“If they continue to shoot and kill our Black men down in the street as they’re running from a dog. If they do not want to hold those who do it accountable, then we’re gonna try to hold them accountable in their pocketbooks,” Daniels said.

The wrongful death lawsuit has not yet been filed. But the attorney said the family sent the city a notice of a claim on Thursday — a required step before the lawsuit can be filed.

Wilmington officials have said officers chased Skinner after they observed him walking out of a home and pointing a gun at a large crowd of people. The family disputes the claim. The body camera footage does not show the moments prior to the foot chase. 

Chance Lynch, another attorney for the family, said during the press conference that the body camera footage sparks new questions about the city account.   

“Where was this crowd that he waved a gun [at]? Why didn’t they (the city) mention the pitbull? And when he was running away from the police officer, how was he a threat to that police officer?” Lynch asked.

When reached for comment Thursday, Caroline Klinger, a spokeswoman for Mayor John Carney, said questions about previous statements made by police should be directed to the Wilmington PD. 

“The details of the incident are precisely what is being evaluated through the investigation,” Klinger said. 

Carney did comment on the situation in a Facebook post made before the family’s press conference Thursday. In it, he asserted that body cameras have “limitations” and that the footage from the Skinner shooting “does not capture the totality of the incident.”

The news of the family’s impending lawsuit comes after the June 24 incident sparked weeks of outcry from community members and elected officials who, until Thursday, had called on authorities to release body camera footage. 

Community members have also demanded the name of the officer involved, as well as police reform at the local and state level.

Many of those demands were repeated Thursday evening during a rally and march that begin a the site of Skinner’s shooting and ended at the Wilmington Police station downtown.  

Four shots fired

Two hours before the Skinner family’s press conference, the Delaware Department of Justice, city officials and Wilmington police released three body camera videos from officers on the scene the night of the shooting.

The videos show two officers near 24th and Jessup streets exiting their police cruiser before pursuing Skinner on foot. 

One officer fired four gunshots while chasing Skinner. Wilmington officials have said Skinner sustained one gunshot wound to the buttocks.

The shooting officer then approaches Skinner, who is already on his knees with his hands up, pushes him to the ground, and puts a knee on his back to handcuff him. During that time, the officer tells another officer to “find the gun.”

Skinner is heard saying, “I don’t got nothing.” A crowd then begins to form in the area as Skinner repeatedly says, “I can’t breathe.”

A separate video from another responding officer shows her near the scene, stopping at a spot and reaching down. She then returns to the immediate scene as sound from her body camera turns on. The shooting officer tells her to “secure the gun.” She responds, “I have it.”

Police previously said they recovered a .45-caliber handgun with an extended magazine but did not say whether Skinner was holding it when he was shot.

The officer who fired the shot, who has yet to be identified, remains on administrative leave, according to police.

In a statement, state and city officials said the investigation into the shooting is still ongoing and noted that the officers involved will be identified once a detailed public report is issued at the end of the investigation. 

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