Canadian Wildfire Smoke Triggers US Midwest Health Alerts – Who’s at Risk & What to Do

For the third day in a row, smoke from Canadian wildfires has draped the skies over the US Midwest, prompting air quality alerts in multiple states. Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, eastern Nebraska, and parts of Indiana and Illinois were all under advisories on Saturday, as reported by The Associated Press. Some areas could see smoky skies well into Sunday, according to Canadian environmental officials.

The US Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index (AQI) showed particularly troubling levels. In Minneapolis, air pollution ranked among the world’s worst since Friday, the report stated, citing readings from IQAir, a global air quality monitoring group based in Switzerland.

What’s Making This Smoke Wave Unusual?

“What’s been unique in this go-around is that we’ve had this prolonged stretch of smoke particulates towards the surface, so that’s where we’ve really had the air quality in the red here for the past few days,” Joe Strus, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Minnesota’s Twin Cities, told AP.

“We’ve sort of been dealing with this, day in and day out, where you walk outside and you can taste the smoke, you can smell it,” Strus added. “Sometimes we’ve been in higher concentrations than others. Other times it’s just looked a little hazy out there.”

While some areas, especially in southwestern Minnesota, saw a slight improvement by Saturday, air quality remained concerning for sensitive groups, with conditions likely to continue through Monday, the report further said.

Who’s Most at Risk and What to Do

Health experts warn that children, seniors, pregnant people, and those with heart or lung conditions are especially vulnerable. The EPA classifies air quality levels into six color-coded categories. Once the AQI surpasses 150, the air becomes unhealthy for everyone. On Saturday, parts of Minnesota exceeded this threshold.

American health officials have advised residents to keep doors and windows shut, avoid burning wood or using gas-powered equipment, and limit strenuous outdoor activity.

Noting that this has the potential to become a seasonal concern, Strus reportedly said, “This is something that’s become part of our summer here the last few years.”

“A lot of us are just looking forward to seeing a little more movement in the atmospheric winds to hopefully disperse some of the smoke out.”

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