US’ Seattle air quality ranks as eighth-worst globally as wildfires rage

WASHINGTON - Air quality in the US city of Seattle currently ranks as eighth-worst worldwide due to wildfires raging across the state, air quality technology company IQAir.com said on Monday, reported Sputnik.

Seattle's air quality index (AQI) was rated at 101, which is considered as "unhealthy for sensitive groups” of the population. Two other American cities, Chicago and Detroit, ranked in the 15th and 16th places in the list, with indexes of 90, while the Pakistani city of Lahore ranked as most polluted with an AQI of 153.

Seattle's air quality index hit a high of between 170 and 190 on Sunday evening, according to AQI, making it the worst globally among 90 major cities.

Currently, there are 27 active fires in the state of Washington, according to the state's Department of Natural Resources.

Washington Governor Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency over the situation.

"Over the past several days, more than 34,000 acres have been engulfed in flames while challenges remain to contain them,” he said on Sunday.

However, local meteorologists expect that the air emergency will not last long, as the ocean breeze should clear the area of smoke, media reports said. - BERNAMA-SPUTNIK