Smoke from a series of wildfires have reached Mexico City, where officials have declared a state of emergency and are urging people to stay indoors. The level of PM 2.5—the measure of particulate matter in the air per cubic meter—reached 158 yesterday (May 14), far above what is considered safe. Reuters noted that one of the most polluted major cities in the world, Delhi, India has an average level of 113.5. The influx of smoke in the valley where Mexico City sits didn’t immediately lead to cars being pulled off the streets, since the conditions didn’t originate from auto exhaust. As the pollution persisted, officials began limiting driving. Photos from recent days show the city, which has long battled pollution, engulfed by smoke and ash. Reuters/Henry Romero A general view shows the effects of smoke in Mexico City on May 13. AP Photo/Marco Ugarte Smoke hangs over in Mexico City on May 13. NASA via Reuters Smoke and fires in southern Mexico, in an image taken by the NASA Aqua MODIS satellite on May 12 Cristopher Rogel Blanquet/Getty Images Tourists take in the view from the Latin American Tower on May 14. Cristopher Rogel Blanquet/Getty Images The sunset illuminates the haze as seen from the Latin American Tower on May 14. Cristopher Rogel Blanquet/Getty Images The historic center of Mexico City on May 14, when authorities activated a contingency plan to address harmful air conditions. Manuel Velasquez/Getty Images A biker with a mask on May 14.<doc-sep>Photo : AP It doesn’t matter if you live on Earth or Westeros, it’s all going to burn down eventually. I’ll leave the Game of Thrones analysis to io9, especially since I’ve never seen the show. But now that my topical intro has hooked you, allow me to tell you about what’s going on in Mexico. Advertisement Massive wildfires in southern Mexico have sent smoke streaming over Mexico City, turning the sunsets blood red and sending pollution levels skyrocketing. The city’s environment commission has warned residents to stay indoors, and pollution levels could spike further in the coming days. The U.S. National Weather Service has already detected smoke aloft in U.S. skies because wildfires don’t care about borders. According to the AP, 11 municipalities have called for a state of emergency in Oaxaca due to the recent rash of fires. It’s not immediately clear what sparked the fires, but most ignitions in the state are usually tied to human activity such as agriculture and forestry. NASA satellite imagery from this weekend reveals dozens of hot spots across the region with swirls of smoke blanketing the southern half of Mexico and spilling into Central America. Spot fires also ignited around Mexico City. The blazes come after an explosive spring. The AP report said 100,000 acres burned through March alone. The smoke from the blazes has drifted over Mexico City, which also dealt with its fair share of spot fires. The air quality index has been elevated in recent days around the city. On Monday, the highest reading was 172, which is considered unhealthy air. Forecasts indicate that air quality levels could reach very unhealthy levels tonight into tomorrow morning’s commute. That has the Environmental Commission of the Megapolis (easily the best environment commission name) warning residents to stay indoors. Closer to the fires, models (and common sense) indicate that air quality is much worse. All this is bad for Mexico City and areas close to the fires, and the smoke could also make its way to the U.S. Right now, a big dip in the jet stream is keeping the U.S. pretty cool and most smoke bottled in Mexico save a few areas of southern Texas. But that jet stream dip should lift later this week, and the National Weather Service in Houston warned that “it’s likely some of the smoke pooling in Gulf of Mexico from fires in southern Mexico and Central America will make its way northward.” It’s unclear if it will enough smoke to degrade air quality, but it could definitely make for some striking sunsets. One offbeat but disconcerting impact of wildfire smoke drifting into the region could be its ability to influence tornadoes. Research published in 2015 looked at how smoke from fires in Mexico and Central America helped influence a major tornado outbreak in April 2011 that killed 313 people in the U.S. The findings show that the smoke allowed clouds to form lower and increase wind shear, a key ingredient for tornadoes. That’s not to say these fires will in turn spawn tornadoes by any means, but it’s another weird reminder of the unfortunate ways in which our world is connected, much like Jon and Dany’ s genealogies.<doc-sep>Mexico City's government warned people Sunday to remain indoors as forest and brush fires carpeted the metropolis in a smoky haze that has alarmed even many of those accustomed to living with nagging air pollution. Outdoor activities on the capital's main avenue continued, although fewer capital dwellers than usual came out to bike, rollerblade or do aerobics on Paseo de la Reforma, parts of which are closed on Sundays for exercise. The capital and surrounding metropolitan area are home to about 22 million people. The Environmental Commission of the Megalopolis said the air was polluted with high levels of solid particles, such as ash, that can cause respiratory problems and other illnesses upon prolonged inhalation. In recent days, 258 firefighters have been dispatched to extinguish 13 brush fires, four fires on barren plots of land, two house fires, a forest fire and a blaze at an industrial warehouse in the capital. In the nearby state of Mexico, 992 firefighters have been sent to fight 30 fires. At the same time, fires in the southern states of Oaxaca and Guerrero — combined with a high-pressure weather system — have carried contaminants into the Valley of Mexico and trapped them there, the commission noted. And in Tepoztlan, a popular weekend retreat just south of the capital, authorities closed access to archaeological ruins over the weekend while they stamped out fires that consumed more than 200 acres of grass, bushes and other flammable plants. The hashtag #SmokeinCDMX was trending on Twitter, while an image of the iconic Angel of Independence statue on Reforma circulated with the angel donning a gas mask. Olivia Meza, 28, strode on roller blades alongside her white Lhasa Apso dog Sunday despite the pollution warnings. "I'm used to the air, somehow," she said with a shrug. "We're like cockroaches -- It's hard to kill us." Meza blames the city's increasingly high levels of air pollution on global warming. Mexico's dry season has extended in recent years, leading to less rain during the summer months and higher temperatures. The capital has the added challenge of being in a valley, which traps dirty air and particles. Then there are the millions of cars belching exhaust. And now the fires. Curtains of smoke have blanketed the capital in recent days, blurring visibility at street level— especially at night— and invading nostrils with the smell of smoke. Parents of young children have reported that their little ones are awakening with nosebleeds. "Last night it smelled burnt," said Michelle Serralde, 40, who joined Meza on roller skates Sunday in spite of the poor air quality, she said, "because we have so few free days." Nearby, a city-sponsored aerobics session wrapped up for the day. Irene Cruz, a 60-year-old whose gives instructional courses on how to use fire extinguishers on weekdays, sweated it out for four hours in the sun Sunday despite the warnings. Saturdays are for church, she said, and Sundays are for outdoor exercise. Pollution "is something we live with every day," Cruz said dismissively, joking that she would rust out if she ever left the city of her birth.<doc-sep>
(Image: GETTY) Residents in the heavily populated metropolis have been warned to avoid outdoor activities and exercise, and have been advised to remain indoors with windows and doors tightly shut. The elderly, sick and small children have been advised to stay indoors as much as possible. Mexico City’s Environmental Commission has been under increasing pressure to act after ash and smoke over the city saw visibility drop significantly. (Image: MEXICO NEWS DAILY) The health authorities say fine particles in the atmosphere, as a result of the blazes, has skyrocketed to 158mg per cubic metre of air. For reference, the World Health Organisation recommends air quality of 25mg of fine particles or less. The current air pollution level in Mexico City has surpassed New Delhi – known to be the world’s most polluted capital city – which averages 113.5mg annually. Mexico City’s air pollution levels were historically seen as lethal to human health, but conditions steadily improved during the 1990s. However, recent years have shown signs of considerable deterioration. (Image: GETTY) Ongoing dry weather conditions have led to a spate of wildfires breaking out around the city. There are currently around 108 wildfires burning across 17 Mexican states. According to El Universal, there are around 14 major fires in Guerrero, 13 in Oaxaca, 12 in México state, 11 in Veracruz, 10 in Michoacán, nine in both Puebla and Chiapas, six each in Jalisco and Chihuahua, four in Mexico City and San Luis Potosí, two in Tamaulipas, Hidalgo, Guanajuato and Yucatán, and one apiece in Aguascalientes and Querétaro. Around 7,500 firefighters are working around the clock to bring the blazes under control. (Image: GETTY) Civil Protection chief León claimed that nine of every 10 fires that burn in Mexica are the result of “people’s carelessness or irresponsibility.” He added that 41% of blazes are caused by smaller fires that have spiralled out of control, while 10% start from discarded cigarette butts. The fire chief added that climate factors including high temperatures, wind and low humidity have contributed to the spread of fires.