Chris Stapleton Cancels Outdoor New York Concert Due to Wildfire Smoke
Chris Stapleton canceled his outdoor concert in Syracuse, New York scheduled for Thursday due to poor air-quality caused by Canada wildfires.
“Due to the ongoing air conditions in the greater Syracuse area, tomorrow night’s show at St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview will be rescheduled to a later date,” the country singer’s team posted to Instagram on Wednesday evening. “All previously purchased tickets for the original date will be honored for the new date.”
An update on the cancelled show was promised by mid-day Friday, June 9. Throughout New York, several sports events and performances have been halted as wildfires in Canada have prompted air quality warnings across the eastern seaboard.
The country is experiencing what could become their most devastating wildfire season on record, due to ongoing drought and warm temperatures. Wildfires are at more than 10 times their normal average so far this year, and in May alone, Canada saw more than 6.6 million acres burn — a total almost the size of Massachusetts.
According to a wildfire outlook from Canadian officials this week, warm and dry conditions will continue to increase wildfire risk in most of Canada in June and July.
At a news conference on Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed the national crisis. “This is a scary time for a lot of people, not just in Alberta, but right across the country, including in the Atlantic, the North and Québec, too,“ said Trudeau.
“If you can see or smell smoke, know that you’re being exposed,” William Barrett, the national senior director of clean air advocacy with the American Lung Association, told CNN. “And it’s important that you do everything you can to remain indoors during those high, high pollution episodes, and it’s really important to keep an eye on your health or any development of symptoms.”
