Wildfire smoke EPA monitor flag
Daily PM2.5 peaked at 47.9 µg/m³ near North Port across 8 covered metros home to 17 million people. 1 metro recorded their worst day on record; 4 placed a top-ten day.
Counting the extra PM2.5 above each metro's typical day, this event handed the average affected resident ≈ 1.6 cigarettes. Across everyone living in the affected metros, that is the collective equivalent of ≈ 29 million cigarettes. An awareness illustration of outdoor exposure at 22 µg/m³ per cigarette (Berkeley Earth), counting only the event's ranked days; not a medical dose.
Why we think this happened
Qualified supplied evidence supports wildfire smoke for this event. It is grouped with 3 other supplied events because the evidence identifies Canada as the shared origin and the affected intervals form one continuous 2023-10-01 through 2023-10-04 occurrence. Qualified supplied e
EPA monitor flag EPA attached an exceptional-event qualifier to the affected samples. The agency flagged the measurement itself; no separate agency record describes the event.
U.S. EPA Air Quality System and the submitting air monitoring agency · Oct 1, 2023 official
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted informational qualifier (IF, Fire - Canadian.) on 19 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2023-10-01, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. An informational qualifier is an official submitting-agency flag, not a request for exclusion or an EPA-concurred determination.
U.S. EPA Air Quality System and the submitting air monitoring agency · Oct 2, 2023 official
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted informational qualifier (IF, Fire - Canadian.) on 8 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2023-10-02, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. An informational qualifier is an official submitting-agency flag, not a request for exclusion or an EPA-concurred determination.
U.S. EPA Air Quality System and the submitting air monitoring agency · Oct 3, 2023 official
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted informational qualifier (IF, Fire - Canadian.) on 168 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2023-10-03, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. An informational qualifier is an official submitting-agency flag, not a request for exclusion or an EPA-concurred determination.
See every retained source and limitation ↓
Sequence: Worcester (Oct 1) → Palm Bay (Oct 2) → Deltona (Oct 2) → North Port (Oct 3) → Miami (Oct 3) → Tampa (Oct 3) → Orlando (Oct 3) → Memphis (Oct 4)
Evidence path
A cause is more convincing when the record connects three things: something happened, the air mass moved toward the region, and local instruments responded. Here is how much of that chain is documented for this event.
Source or mechanism
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted informational qualifier (IF, Fire - Canadian.) on 19 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2023-10-01, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. An informational qualifier is an official…
View supporting source ↗Air-mass movement
NOAA satellite analysis observed smoke from ongoing northwestern Canada wildfires inland over portions of Florida on October 3.
View transport source ↗Local response
The state-hosted advisory records elevated PM2.5 in Hillsborough County on October 3.
Inspect the pollutant and weather signals ↓Event autopsy
Before, during, and after the episode: nearby pollutant monitors and surface-weather stations show what changed. This context tests the “Wildfire smoke” explanation; it does not assign the cause by itself.
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL
Monitor comparison window 2023-09-29 to 2023-10-07 · PM2.5 target: DAYTONA BLIND SERVICES
282% above nearby days
174% higher than surrounding days
282% higher than surrounding days
174% higher than surrounding days
35% higher than surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL
Monitor comparison window 2023-09-29 to 2023-10-07 · PM2.5 target: Melbourne
344% above nearby days
208% higher than surrounding days
344% higher than surrounding days
208% higher than surrounding days
17% higher than surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
Monitor comparison window 2023-09-29 to 2023-10-07 · PM2.5 target: Sanford (Seminole Community College)
200% above nearby days
134% higher than surrounding days
200% higher than surrounding days
134% higher than surrounding days
36% higher than surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
16% higher than surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL
Monitor comparison window 2023-09-29 to 2023-10-07 · PM2.5 target: Jackson Road
154% above nearby days
154% higher than surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
34% higher than surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
Monitor comparison window 2023-09-29 to 2023-10-07 · PM2.5 target: Apollo Beach
139% above nearby days
38% higher than surrounding days
55% higher than surrounding days
139% higher than surrounding days
55% higher than surrounding days
9% higher than surrounding days
14% higher than surrounding days
26% lower than surrounding days
31% higher than surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
38% higher than surrounding days
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
Monitor comparison window 2023-09-30 to 2023-10-06 · PM2.5 target: Belle Glade
769% above nearby days
307% higher than surrounding days
769% higher than surrounding days
307% higher than surrounding days
24% higher than surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
125% higher than surrounding days
72% higher than surrounding days
9% lower than surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
Worcester, MA-CT
Monitor comparison window 2023-09-28 to 2023-10-04 · PM2.5 target: WORCESTER SUMMER STREET
233% above nearby days
232% higher than surrounding days
233% higher than surrounding days
232% higher than surrounding days
13% lower than surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
Memphis, TN-MS-AR
Monitor comparison window 2023-10-01 to 2023-10-07 · PM2.5 target: Hernando
165% above nearby days
49% higher than surrounding days
120% higher than surrounding days
165% higher than surrounding days
120% higher than surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
6% higher than surrounding days
62% higher than surrounding days
13% lower than surrounding days
11% higher than surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
About the same as surrounding days
49% higher than surrounding days
Source: U.S. EPA AirData daily observations and, where available, nearby ASOS/AWOS surface observations. Values are descriptive medians over the retained monitor set; missing measurements remain missing. Transport and source evidence remain separate layers because this instrument pattern does not assign a cause by itself.
Episode peak
-- cigarettes
The smoke map's scale, replayed over this event: the surface interpolates between covered metros' daily records, framed to the affected region. Hover for a reading, click a metro to pin it to the card. Days a monitor did not report draw nothing.
Views from the selected metro
Select a metro on the map to see nearby cameras. Where an operator archive reaches the event, drag the divider to compare two moments, adjust either date and time, or play the available event-day frames. Camera imagery is visual context, not an air-quality measurement or proof of smoke.
No useful public camera views are currently available within 80 km of this metro.
| Metro | Peak PM2.5 | Cigarettes, whole event | Peak day | All-time standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL | 47.9 µg/m³ | 2.2 | Oct 3, 2023 | #3 of its top days |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | 47.1 µg/m³ | 3.2 | Oct 3, 2023 | Worst day on record |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 44.2 µg/m³ | 2.0 | Oct 3, 2023 | #17 of its top days |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | 42.6 µg/m³ | 4.6 | Oct 3, 2023 | #4 of its top days |
| Worcester, MA-CT | 40.5 µg/m³ | 1.8 | Oct 1, 2023 | #15 of its top days |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 40.4 µg/m³ | 1.8 | Oct 3, 2023 | #12 of its top days |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 40.1 µg/m³ | 1.8 | Oct 4, 2023 | #24 of its top days |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 37.6 µg/m³ | 1.7 | Oct 3, 2023 | #10 of its top days |
"Cigarettes, whole event" totals a metro's ranked event days at 22 µg/m³ per cigarette: what a person outdoors there breathed across the event, as the illustration. "All-time standing" is where this episode's days sit in each metro's ranked record (worst-area measure, since 1999). Full local context is on each metro's Air Records page.
Public evidence library
Each card states what a source supports—and what it does not. Official records, research, reporting, community observations, and transparent inferences remain visibly different kinds of evidence.
AQS PM2.5 qualifier IF — Fire - Canadian.
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted informational qualifier (IF, Fire - Canadian.) on 19 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2023-10-01, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. An informational qualifier is an official submitting-agency flag, not a request for exclusion or an EPA-concurred determination.
AQS PM2.5 qualifier IF — Fire - Canadian.
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted informational qualifier (IF, Fire - Canadian.) on 8 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2023-10-02, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. An informational qualifier is an official submitting-agency flag, not a request for exclusion or an EPA-concurred determination.
AQS PM2.5 qualifier IF — Fire - Canadian.
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted informational qualifier (IF, Fire - Canadian.) on 168 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2023-10-03, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. An informational qualifier is an official submitting-agency flag, not a request for exclusion or an EPA-concurred determination.
AQS PM2.5 qualifier IF — Fire - Canadian.
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted informational qualifier (IF, Fire - Canadian.) on 48 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2023-10-03, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. An informational qualifier is an official submitting-agency flag, not a request for exclusion or an EPA-concurred determination.
AQS PM2.5 qualifier IF — Fire - Canadian.
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted informational qualifier (IF, Fire - Canadian.) on 24 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2023-10-03, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. An informational qualifier is an official submitting-agency flag, not a request for exclusion or an EPA-concurred determination.
AQS PM2.5 qualifier IF — Fire - Canadian.
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted informational qualifier (IF, Fire - Canadian.) on 24 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2023-10-03, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. An informational qualifier is an official submitting-agency flag, not a request for exclusion or an EPA-concurred determination.
AQS PM2.5 qualifier IF — Fire - Canadian.
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted informational qualifier (IF, Fire - Canadian.) on 71 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2023-10-03, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. An informational qualifier is an official submitting-agency flag, not a request for exclusion or an EPA-concurred determination.
AQS PM2.5 qualifier IF — Fire - Canadian.
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted informational qualifier (IF, Fire - Canadian.) on 312 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2023-10-03, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. An informational qualifier is an official submitting-agency flag, not a request for exclusion or an EPA-concurred determination.
AQS PM2.5 qualifier IF — Fire - Canadian.
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted informational qualifier (IF, Fire - Canadian.) on 24 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2023-10-04, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. An informational qualifier is an official submitting-agency flag, not a request for exclusion or an EPA-concurred determination.
AQS PM2.5 qualifier RF — Fire - Canadian.
EPA AQS carries an agency-submitted request-exclusion qualifier (RF, Fire - Canadian.) on 48 PM2.5 samples in the candidate CBSA on 2023-10-04, identifying wildfire smoke as affecting the samples. A request-exclusion qualifier is an official submitting-agency causal claim, but this endpoint does not establish EPA concurrence.
Smoke Text Product: Tuesday, October 3, 2023
NOAA satellite analysis observed smoke from ongoing northwestern Canada wildfires inland over portions of Florida on October 3.
Florida Sky Hazy From Canadian Wildfire Smoke
Reporting described unhealthy Florida air and haze from Canadian wildfire smoke, including locations near Orlando and Venice.
Hillsborough County Air Pollution Advisory October 3, 2023
The state-hosted advisory records elevated PM2.5 in Hillsborough County on October 3.
Broward air quality is unhealthy; smoke from Canada fires
Contemporaneous South Florida reporting attributed unhealthy Miami-Dade and Broward air to smoke from Canadian fires.
EPA monitor flag EPA attached an exceptional-event qualifier to the affected samples. The agency flagged the measurement itself; no separate agency record describes the event.
This episode was grouped from the monitor record by the catalog pipeline and given its cause from the evidence listed above. It has not been individually reviewed and signed off, so its boundaries, cause, and name may change as evidence accumulates. Grouping policy common_sense_root_cause_grouping.v2. The cause label reflects the assembled evidence above, not an IAQng detection formula. If it is wrong, tell us.