Buffalo Public Schools is canceling all outdoor activities Wednesday and Thursday due to the ongoing air quality situation in the state.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation issued an Air Quality Alert for all of Western New York on Wednesday. Wildfires burning north of Montreal, Canada have caused a change in air quality across the entire Northeastern United States.

BPS recommends children with respiratory issues, such as asthma, limit their time outdoors and that the situation should be "taken very seriously." The district recommends students wear masks for added safety, but it is not requiring them. 

Health officials say vulnerable people should avoid strenuous outdoor activities, keep outdoor activities short, and consider moving physical activities indoors or rescheduling them.

"Over the past several days, my team and I have been closely monitoring air quality and providing updates to New Yorkers as haze and smoke from Canadian wildfires continue to spread throughout the state," Gov. Kathy Hochul said. "The State Department of Environmental Conservation and State Department of Health have issued air quality warnings since Monday, and according to the most recent forecast, much of the state outside of the North Country is expected to be in an air quality index of unhealthy to very unhealthy today. Additionally, my administration has been in contact with the cities of Syracuse, Rochester and New York. I support their decisions and the decisions of other districts to suspend outdoor school activities and strongly urge those who have not yet done so to follow suit."

BPS says its standards for indoor air quality ensure appropriate air quality in its schools.

"Our indoor air quality in our schools is highly filtered. There are state standards that we meet that are the most stringent in the area. So we are confident that our students are safe in our schools," David Hills, BPS COO, said.