HARRISBURG, Pa. (WENY) - According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the south-central and eastern regions of the commonwealth are currently the most impacted by smoke from the Canadian wildfires.

“With conditions over much of eastern and central Pennsylvania in the Maroon or Hazardous Air Quality Index, residents should stay inside as much as possible until conditions improve,” said Rich Negrin, Acting Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection. “Residents are encouraged to check www.airnow.gov to see current conditions and the recommendations that go along with those conditions.” 

Despite air quality concerns in a hazy Harrisburg, many are still taking advantage of what was an otherwise beautiful day. 

“It hasn't really altered our plans much,” said Chris Rafferty, who stopped in Harrisburg on his way from New York to Maryland. 

Rafferty recalls wildfire smoke in the past, but not quite like this. 

“We did experience some of the wildfires from out west in the states. It was similar, but not this severe,” said Rafferty. 

Even though Rafferty won’t be rolling with the windows down, he still plans on enjoying his trip and the stops along the way. 

“Keeping the windows up, but that's usually how we do it when we're on the highway,” said Rafferty. 

However, some experts warn driving with the windows up will become more common. 

“Climate change is real,” said John Dernbach, Professor of Environmental Law and Sustainability at Widener University Commonwealth Law School. “The impacts of it are occurring in ways that we probably didn't expect,” he added. 

According to Dernbach, Canada has the largest intact forest ecosystem in the world. He says they’re also experiencing record-high temperatures. 

“It's not like every single forest fire is caused by climate change. But the scientific community says, climate change makes fires more frequent, more intense, and extends the length of the fire season. So, it's all worse because of that,” said Dernbach. 

Dernbach adds that if action is not taken, and temperatures continue to rise, wildfires will become more common and more severe in the future. 

“It’s not like we're going to get to a point where the temperature is just going to stop rising, unless we do something really serious about reducing our greenhouse gas emissions,” said Dernbach. “We've got the tools- the economic tools, the policy tools to solve this. What we've been lacking is the will to solve it,” he added.