Extended Unhealthy Air Quality in D.C. After July Fourth Fireworks

During the July Fourth celebrations, fine particulate matter levels in Washington, D.C., surged to amounts comparable to past Independence Day events. These levels, however, remained high through Sunday morning, as reported by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

A prolonged period of unhealthy air quality persisted for over 10 hours in Washington, D.C., following the 40-minute fireworks display over the National Mall. This information comes from AirNow, a website managed by the EPA that provides air quality readings gathered from physical sensors.

Visual evidence of the smoky conditions was captured as smoke enveloped the fireworks amidst rainfall, during the holiday festivities visible from Arlington, Virginia.