Southwestern Pennsylvania residents woke to smoke on Friday, as Allegheny County warned residents to avoid outdoor activities and the City of Pittsburgh closed pools and nixed movies and events.
The smoke stems largely from wildfires in Ontario and Minnesota. The Environmental Protection Agency’s AirNow map shows high levels of pollutants in the region.
On Thursday, the county Health Department issued a Code Maroon air quality alert — the most severe level — after concentrations of tiny PM2.5 particles reached hazardous levels…