Environment & Science

The Lehigh Valley is under a code red air quality alert in effect until midnight due to Canadian wildfires. Here are the latest updates on the smoke.

The air quality in Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton is so bad, it’s the equivalent of smoking more than 14 cigarettes.

Smoke from wildfires in Canada can be seen and smelled in much of the northeast, including the Lehigh Valley. Local pulmonologists are weighing in with what to do to avoid too much exposure.

The Lehigh Valley is under a code red air quality alert in effect until midnight.

The National Weather Service says thick smoke associated with wildfires in Canada is moving into parts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Allentown Fire Department is warning against any outdoor fires due to dry conditions and elevated winds as a red flag warning continues for the region.

Any fires that develop may quickly get out of control and become difficult to contain, the National Weather Service said in a red flag warning in effect for the area until 8 p.m.

A brush fire closed Route 33 Southbound in Wind Gap early Monday afternoon, backing up traffic for miles, as crews battled a series of blazes in Northampton and Monroe counties, officials said.

The college resubmitted plans May 26, two weeks after Easton officials sent a letter notifying officials that the walkway project had deforested a portion of a slope without city approval.

Landfill officials have less than a week to appeal a judge's ruling that halted expansion efforts and conditional use hearings. If not appealed, the process could be started over.

A red fox in Northampton County earlier this month became the first mammal in the Lehigh Valley to contract bird flu.

Anglers say Bushkill Creek has a history of receding, leaving hundreds of fish to their death.

Authorities are investigating the origin of a fire which devastated the 900 block of Ferry Street in Easton on Monday, while volunteers are attempting to help victims acclimated after the disaster.

Melanie Biringer launched her business, Constellation Station, this year with a mobile planetarium is designed to offer physical accessibility to children and give back to the special needs community.

Created in 2019 through a $35,000 grant from the Arbor Day Foundation, the city’s micro-forest has had time to flourish, changing the landscape at 1900 Wood Ave. from a grassy lawn to a young forest.

Easton City Council approved two resolutions to apply for a DCED Flood Mitigation Grant and a Grow NORCO Grant to help alleviate sediment issues in the Lehigh River and improve the Centennial Park.

Zoo staff, volunteers and donors gathered at the zoo, 5150 Game Preserve Road in Schnecksville, for a ribbon cutting to mark the opening of Habitat Madagascar, a year-round lemur and tortoise exhibit.

The group's goal is to prevent veteran suicides.

As a high pressure system moves in over the Lehigh Valley, we can expect dry, mostly sunny conditions, at least for parts of the region until Sunday.

After clearing more than 40 trees without city approval, college officials must resubmit plans to comply with the city's steep slope conservation ordinance. Failure to do so will halt the project.

The spring migration count at Hawk Mountain has ended with counts 25% above the 10-year average.

There are more than 400 species of bees in Pennsylvania, but loss of habitat, disease and pesticides have put them at risk, experts said.