Extremely smoky conditions prompted the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to issue a Code Red Air Quality Action Day on Wednesday.

Smoke from the Canadian wildfires contributed to high levels of particulate matter in the air and made it unsafe for anyone - not just those with underlying health conditions - to breathe, DEP noted.

Tom Kines, an AccuWeather meteorologist, said the high levels of pollutants were among the highest the area has ever seen.

“I don’t know if it’s a record, but it is very close to it,” he explained. “This is highly unusual.”

Kines said wind flows are delivering the smoke and haze to a large portion of the northeastern United States.

“We’ve kind of been in the worst of it even though other places have also experienced the bad air quality, the haze and so forth,” Kines noted.

Unfortunately, he said, it is not looking to go away in a hurry.

“It is still bad today. For tomorrow, I think we will be in and out of the haze but there will be times tomorrow when it looks better than it does today,” he said.

He said that if it doesn’t improve Friday, it will “certainly” get better over the weekend.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency has reported “hazardous” air quality for most of the region today but predicts Friday’s levels will be moderate.

In the Lehigh Valley, however, the DEP issued a Code Red Action Day today due to high particulate matter.

“We do expect this heavy plume of smoke that moved in during the overnight period to thin out during the day today,” DEP said of the Lehigh Valley. As the plume thins, hazardous levels may drop but may still be in the Code Red index.

“Continue to stay vigilant while outdoors,” according to the DEP.

Because of the air quality, the borough of Tamaqua decided to close the H.D. Buehler Memorial Pool at Bungalow Park today.

Tom Evans, recreation director, Baer Memorial Swimming pool in Lehighton, said the pool was closed Thursday.

“Even the Weather Channel has a Code Red,” Evans said. “With the poor air quality today and the cool weather; the jet stream is affecting everyone.”

Evans said the pool was not open Wednesday either “because we have to worry about the health of everybody, between our workers and our patrons.”

Don Herrmann, president of the Palmerton Memorial Pool’s Board of Directors, said that the pool will be open today. The pool closed early on Wednesday.

“I think the air quality is getting better,” Herrmann said. Yesterday was really bad.

“We’re going to be pretty lenient, I’m sure. If the lifeguards (don’t) think it’s safe, certainly we’re not going to force them. Depending on how visitation is during the day, we may close up early.”

Terry Ahner contributed to this report.