Washington, DC residents experienced the worst air quality of any major city in the world on Sunday, following a massive 40-minute Fourth of July fireworks show. The city issued a Code Red Air Quality Alert, warning that the air is ‘unhealthy for seniors, kids, people with medical conditions’ and that the general public may experience health issues.

Air Quality Concerns

The fireworks show, organized by Freedom 250, a nonprofit backed by former President Donald Trump, was expected to set a Guinness World Record. However, the display came as DC and the Northeast suffered under an extreme heat wave, with the district seeing a triple-digit high temperature on Saturday.

Dr. Kisha Davis, chief health officer of nearby Montgomery County, Maryland, warned that the air quality was already poor before the fireworks show, saying it was ‘like running a marathon while smoking a cigarette.’ She added that the fireworks display would make matters worse, but noted that potential thunderstorms on Sunday evening could help cleanse the air.

The DC Fire and EMS Department reported 96 patient contacts and 40 patient transports from the National Mall between midnight Friday and 9 a.m. Sunday. George Washington University also reported 289 patient contacts from the National Mall as of 10 p.m. Saturday.

Fireworks Show Details

The fireworks show was launched from 10 sites spanning the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Potomac River barges, and West Potomac Park. The display was about 10 times bigger than Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks Show in New York, which is typically the nation’s largest Independence Day bash.

Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.