finally easing up, it is all raising concerns over whether dangerous air could be the new normal. anne thompson reports. reporter: the ominous hue that dominated skylines in the northeast today finally dissipated. the washington monument soars again. new york s empire state building, now gleams, and the city of brotherly love breathes easier. a day after smoke from the canadian wildfires smothered the city with the worst air quality in the world, anxious philadelphians breathed a cautious sigh of relief. and the air feels a lot cleaner. i don t feel as uncomfortable. reporter: as a precaution, city schools were remote. the school yards empty. at st. christopher s hospital for children, where asthma accounts for 20% of the e.r. case, dr. james reingold says families heeded the warning. i think this was a nice opportunity for families to take stock of, do they have their
In Philadelphia, which has a pediatric asthma rate that is roughly three times that of the national average, wildfire smoke from Canada is especially risky to Black and Hispanic children.