Wildfires burning hundreds of miles away in Quebec, Canada, were to blame for extremely hazy - and smoky - conditions throughout the region Tuesday.

A meteorologist from AccuWeather said it could last until Thursday.

“There are actually a lot of wildfires burning out of control up north in parts of Quebec, Canada,” explained senior meteorologist Dave Donbek. “So it’s not like it’s right in our backyard yet you would think it is. The sky looks so dingy right now and you can smell the smoke. You’d think, ‘Man, this is right up the road. There’s something burning.’”

But winds in a deep layer of the atmosphere are picking up the smoke and dropping it in parts of the eastern United States.

“This is some pretty nasty stuff,” he said.

Donbek said hazy conditions have been hanging around for the last few days.

“But at times it gets way worse. The visibility gets way low,” he said. “That’s what we have right now, kind of the core of this thicker area of smoke and haze.”

Donbek said it won’t clear immediately.

“Generally speaking, our wind flow doesn’t change a whole lot through (Wednesday). We are going to continue to deal with some of the haze and smoke for at least another day and maybe through Thursday,” he said. “At times, some of the haze is so thick and so extensive that you’re actually smelling it down at the ground. ”

Pennsylvania has caught haze and smoke from wildfires in Canada and the West Coast before, he said.

Often, though, the smoke gets trapped high up in the atmosphere and causes a haze but no smell.

Donbek said those with breathing issues, such as allergies, asthma or COPD should be cautious when it is smoky.

For Wednesday, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has declared a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for fine particulate matter for a number of areas in the state, including the Lehigh Valley.

On an Air Quality Action Day, the DEP said young children, the elderly, and those with respiratory problems, such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis, are especially vulnerable to the effects of air pollution and should limit outdoor activities.

Due to the conditions caused by the Canadian fires, emergency management agencies including those in Carbon, Schuylkill and Monroe counties, are urging residents to be discerning when calling to report smoke conditions to prevent overload on 911 system.

“We are advising residents that we are aware of the smoke conditions and haze due to the wildfires in Canada and some local brush fires. Do not call 911 for a smoke investigation with the current conditions. Only call if you can see and verify flames. We are asking residents to follow local weather sources for updates and follow air quality recommendations. These conditions are likely to continue on Wednesday,” said Schuylkill County EMA Deputy Coordinator John Blickley.

Mark Nalesnik, Carbon County’s EMA Coordinator, said that residents need to discern between the wildfire smoke coming from Canada and any emergencies happening in the area before calling 911 to help prevent an overload of the system.

He stressed that if you observe a fire or any emergency situation, then call 911 immediately.

The National Weather Service also issued Air Quality Alerts for New York and the New England states Tuesday.

Donbek said there is one advantage to the smoke and haze: amazing sunsets and sunrises.

Wildfire smoke adds more particles to the air, and thus, causes the sun’s colors to amplify.

“You have a very reddish- or orange-ish looking ball in the sky. The sun really stands out,” he said. “And that is because of the scattering of light of those particles.”