Fires in Canada have caused the air quality in some cities to become poor and hazardous. Midwest cities like Chicago, Detroit, Washington DC, and Minneapolis have the worst air quality right now. According to the National Weather Service, “wildfire smoke from Canada will reduce air quality over parts of the Upper/Middle Mississippi Valley, Great Lakes, Western Ohio Valley, Central Appalachians, Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic, prompting Air Quality Warnings over the area.” The air quality index in Chicago right now is 163, which is considered unhealthy.
This week more than 490 wildfires are still ablaze in Canada and half of them are considered out of control. The worst wildfires are in Ontario and Quebec in eastern Canada, which is causing smoke to flow toward the U.S. Due to all of the air quality issues, there has been a severe thunderstorm issued and has been expected to be more storms coming. Many midwestern cities that the smoke has affected should expect to see a change in the air quality.
Who Is the Smoke Affecting?
It will affect other places until it is cleared in Chicago, Washington, and Minneapolis. The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre stated that 29,393 square miles of land, including forests, have burned across Canada since Jan 1. That exceeds the previous record set in 1989 of 29,187 square miles, according to the National Forestry Database.
The U.S. usually is not affected by Canadian fires, but they are burning very close by. The small particles from the smoke can irritate the eyes, throat, and nose. It also can affect the heart and lungs, making it hard to breathe. People should avoid strenuous activity, keep activities short, reschedule or move plans inside, walk more/run less, and generally avoid being out for too long. Parts that are closer to the lake are less affected than others in the Chicago area, according to NBC 5, due to the smoke slowly going away.
Written by Ciara M. Robertson
Sources:
NBC 5: As smoky skies, and ‘very unhealthy’ air quality in Chicago continues, stormy weather is on the way
CBS 2: Chicago First Alert Weather: Air quality worst in the world due to wildfire smoke
Top and featured image courtesy of Don Harder’s Flickr page- Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Giuseppe Milo’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
