BOSTON (WHDH) - Parts of Massachusetts are under an air quality alert as wildfires raging in other parts of the country cast a smoky haze on the state.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection says that the alert remains in effect until midnight for Central and Northwest Middlesex, Eastern and Western Essex, and Northern Worcester counties.

RELATED: Winds feed California’s largest fire as blazes scorch West

The air quality could be unhealthy for sensitive groups, including people with heart or lung disease such as asthma, older adults, children, teenagers, and people who are active outdoors, according to the Mass. DEP.

People in sensitive groups are urged to reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion, take more breaks and do less intense activities, follow asthma action plans, and keep quick-relief medicine handy.

The public should also watch for symptoms such as coughing or shortness of breath.

(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Join our Newsletter for the latest news right to your inbox