PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 21, 2021
The air across Maine has seen a large decline in quality over the past three days because of smoke drifting from intense wildfires on the West Coast. The air quality in Maine is deemed “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” according to AirNow, which works with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other federal organizations to monitor air quality across the country. Sensitive groups include people with lung or heart disease, older adults, children and pregnant women. The air quality first switched from “good” to “moderate” on Tuesday morning and reached its peak harshness at 6 p.m. that day.