Woman shares ‘insane’ glimpse at wildfire smoke from NYC apartment

A woman has shared “terrifying” footage from inside her New York City apartment as wildfire smoke from Canada continues to tear through the northeastern United States.

New York City was ranked first for the worst air quality in the world on Wednesday, while the air quality index reached “hazardous” levels. The poor air quality was a result of more than 400 wildfires raging in Canada, casting a hazy, orange glow throughout the sky.

In a viral video shared to TikTok, one New Yorker captured the apocalyptic orange skies on Wednesday from her window-filled apartment. In the clip, TikTok user Amanda Marie showed a blanket rolled up on the floor to block the smoke from coming inside her apartment.

“The hallway smells like nothing but smoke so I had to put this towel down,” she said in the clip. “This is how it looks outside.” The TikToker then panned to the windows, where the view was completely obstructed by a smokey haze.

Amanda Marie noted that she had her portable air purifier running to help clean the indoor air, but as she moved closer to the window, the smoke appeared to turn the sky a burnt orange. “It’s nothing but smoke,” she added.

“Smells horrible, NYC air quality right now is insane!” she wrote over the clip. “Stay safe out there!”

Since it was posted, Amanda Marie’s video has been viewed nearly 38 million times. In the comments, many people expressed their concern over the wildfire smoke and poor air quality.

“That’s terrifying,” one person commented, while another wrote: “Scary.”

“Not being able to see out the window would send me crazy,” someone else admitted.

Some people also took the opportunity to share their helpful tips for others dealing with the wildfire smoke. “Wet the towel and make it damp. Helps keep the smoke out better. Firefighter tip I learned,” shared one person.

“These tips are a lifesaver,” someone else replied.

Heavy smoke made its way to Washington DC on Thursday as New York City’s air quality index was downgraded from “hazardous” to “unhealthy”, though public health officials have still advised people to stay indoors and wear masks if outside. Now, at least 20 states have air quality alerts, impacting an estimated 115 million people.

Meanwhile, many people have shared “apocalyptic” photos of the smoky haze blanketing New York City.