STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Those New York City residents sensitive to poor air quality will want to reconsider any strenuous outdoor activities on Thursday, as the National Weather Service has issued an air quality alert .

The alert, which will remain in effect until midnight, is a direct result of the smoke from an Ocean County, New Jersey, wildfire, according to Bob Larson, a senior meteorologist with AccuWeather .

The alert, which was issued early Thursday morning, encapsulates all five boroughs, Long Island and some areas north of the city.

. @NYSDEC Air Quality Health Advisory: Air Quality Index (AQI) forecast to reach 101-150 tomorrow, Thursday, April 24th. Unhealthy for sensitive groups & for those sensitive to air pollution. Info: https://t.co/qrjF4dYyPo . Multilingual & ASL Link: https://t.co/PefNUSKD4R .

Due to fine particle pollutants, the weather service said that air quality levels are predicted to exceed an Air Quality Index value of 100, which is “unhealthy for sensitive groups.”

As of 10 a.m., Staten Island had an air quality index value of 80, which is “moderate,” according to AirNow .

“Due to the fact that winds were lighter yesterday (Wednesday) than they were the day before (Tuesday), firefighters were able to gain some advantage and start to increase the amount of containment,” Larson said.

As of Wednesday morning, the fire was only 10% contained, but by the end of the day the blaze was 50% contained, added Larson.

While winds may not be as light as they were on Wednesday, Larson believes relatively low winds on Thursday should assist firefighters in their efforts.

Larson explained that whatever wind does blow about will direct smoke from this wildfire to the city.

Larson noted that this situation should not become as severe as the Canadian wildfires of 2023 , when the city’s skies turned a hazy orange.

However, a similar weather event is not impossible.

Should the fire flare up again and smoke is directed precisely toward the city, it’s possible that there is a “dramatic increase in haze” and air quality worsens even further, Larson said.

Although some rain will move in late Friday night to help alleviate the wildfire conditions, Larson forecasts that low humidity, elevated winds and warming temperatures could move in early next week and make for conditions that would allow the New Jersey wildfire to flare up once again.

A suspect taken into custody

A 19-year-old man has been taken into custody for allegedly starting the Ocean County wildfire, which as of Thursday had scorched more than 15,000 acres of land and destroyed a commercial building, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office announced.

The Ocean County Board of Commissioners extends it appreciation to all of those involved in the investigation.

Joseph W. Kling of the Waretown section of Ocean Township is charged with aggravated arson and arson, the prosecutor’s office stated.

The fire, which began Tuesday morning within the Ocean County Natural Lands Trust’s Forked River Mountains Wilderness Area, was traced back to an improperly extinguished bonfire, the prosecutor’s office revealed.

An investigation found that Kling allegedly set wooden pallets on fire and left the area before the flames were fully extinguished.

Kling was taken into custody at Ocean Township Police Headquarters and then transported to the Ocean County Jail, where he remains pending a detention hearing, added the prosecutor’s office.