Smoke fills the air in Lake George, NY on Tuesday. The material in the air came from active wildfires in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada.
LAKE GEORGE, NY (NEWS10) — Skies in the North Country were soupy and gray on Tuesday — from reasons far to the west. Wildfires that first broke out in Alberta, Canada, have now spread to Quebec — and prompted air quality warnings for many parts of New York.
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In the North Country, residual smoke from these fires obscures views of the Adirondack Mountains — and bodies of water like Lake George. With Memorial Day in the past, the first few weeks of summer are here. As you keep your eyes on the smoky skies, you might be wondering: is it safe to leave the hotel and go to the beach?
“There’s an increase in wildfires, but there’s not a lot of research on the effects on skin,” said New York-based dermatologist Dr. Fayne Frey, who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer. “While we know that smoke from wildfires can have respiratory and cardiovascular effects, the risk of exposure to smoke on the skin is a relatively new problem.”
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Some of the latest data on this topic comes from the 2018 Camp Fire wildfire in Northern California. Started by a faulty transmission line, the bonfire eventually spread across 153,336 acres, destroying nearly 19,000 buildings and killing 85 people. It also left an impact on thousands more lives.
A 2021 study from the University of California, San Francisco compared the incidence of patients visiting health clinics in the San Francisco Bay Area after the fire with those in 2015 and 2016. They found a significant increase in patients with itching and other dermatological conditions raised concerns about post-Camp Fire data.
Some of these patients had pre-existing skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. The study found an increase in eczema flare-ups of up to 50% in children. Meanwhile, the number of adults with itching and no history of such a skin condition after the burn increased by up to 90%.
The data in the study was not all from near the scene of the fire in Butte County, California. Changes were seen up to a distance of 175 miles from where the fire was actively burning. For comparison, Lake George is over 450 miles from parts of Quebec that were actively burning north of Montreal on Tuesday.
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Unless authorities recommend otherwise, those looking to enjoy a day at the beach in places like Lake George can still make it — but there are ways to be smart about it. dr Frey recommends using moisturizer for anyone suffering from eczema, a condition that leads to dry skin and reduces the effectiveness of its natural barrier against fungi and bacteria. The better the barrier is maintained, the safer beachgoers will be.
“When you go on a long drive, you want to make sure your tires are serviced for the journey. If you have eczema. The same goes for your skin,” said Dr. Frey.
Ultimately, the same is true even if you don’t have an existing skin condition. Humid air means that humidification is not always necessary in summer. dr Frey recommends using a waterproof sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher, even when the sun isn’t directly visible — for example, when it’s being obscured by a cloud of smoke. It can also help to avoid the midday sun at its brightest and highest point and opt for outdoor picnics and afternoon swims. Long-sleeved clothing protects the skin and UPF options are designed to keep sunburn at bay while swimming.
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The effects of smoke exposure now go beyond the skin to include respiratory hazards, particularly for immunocompromised individuals and the elderly. The DEC announced an air quality health warning to go into effect beginning Wednesday in various parts of New York, including New York City, central and western New York. Nordland was not included in the recommendation,
Frey is the author of The Skincare Haox, a book about skin care products like lotions and wrinkle creams. On Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. she will visit the Caldwell-Lake George Library for a talk about the book and her career.
