As the deadly wildfire continues to burn out in California, people in New Jersey can see the effects.

According to weather experts, people in parts of South Jersey and Philadelphia saw an unusually hazy sky as smoke from California made its way down the length of that state and across the country.

Gary Szatkowski, the former head of the National Weather Service's Mount Holly office, posted on Twitter a map showing the trail of smoke.

New Jersey 101.5 Meteorologist Dan Zarrow said it is "not unusual for the effects of West Coast wildfires to be felt here in New Jersey." Zarrow also said that while the sky may have looked hazy, it didn't look like smoke.

"As the tiny particulate matter from those enormous wildfire smoke plumes rose miles into the sky, they got caught up in the jet stream, the river of air high up in the atmosphere," he said. "The effect here was basically increased air pollution, an unexplained haze on the horizon."

Air Now, a government website that reports air conditions, listed the air quality in parts of the region as "moderate" as a result of the haze. A Moderate ranking means that "unusually sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged or heavy exertion." The air quality is expected to return to "Good" status by Wednesday.

Dubbed the Camp Fire, the deadly wildfire has claimed the lives of at least 79 people, with more than 700 people listed as missing. The fire has burned at least 236 square miles through California, destroying close to 12,000 homes. As of Monday, fire officials said the blaze was 70 percent contained.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

 

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