Smoke from Canadian wildfires has deteriorated air quality across the eastern United States, as several states in the Midwest are confronting conditions deemed unhealthy by federal standards. These fires have not only displaced thousands of Canadians but have propelled smoke clouds as far as Europe.
In major U.S. cities, smoke hovered over skylines stretching from Kansas City to Minneapolis, and vast areas showed unhealthy air quality levels, as illustrated by an Environmental Protection Agency map from Wednesday. In Stoughton, Wisconsin, Nature’s Garden Preschool had to keep children indoors, diverging from their regular outdoor play routines due to the poor air quality. Assistant teacher Bailey Pollard noted that the smoke resembled an approaching storm. Despite usual outdoor activities, children engaged in indoor arts and crafts with Play-Doh and coloring, which Pollard found unfortunate since kids benefit significantly from outdoor play and fresh air.
Iowa responded by issuing a statewide air quality alert until early Thursday, recommending citizens limit outdoor activities due to potential health risks from the thick smoke. Similar precautions were conveyed by Wisconsin officials as the smoke moved southeastwards across their state. In Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, health advisories included keeping windows shut at night and avoiding strenuous outdoor activities.
Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York also faced moderate air quality concerns, prompting officials to advise sensitive groups to consider reducing outdoor activities. In the Midwest, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency issued a statewide alert on Wednesday, with the Twin Cities area experiencing the most severe air quality on Tuesday. Dr. Chase Shutak from Children’s Minnesota reported a modest uptick in patients with breathing-related symptoms, such as asthma, attributed to the polluted air.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources warned of air quality in a strip from the state’s southwest to northeast potentially becoming unhealthy until Thursday morning. The agency recommended that individuals, especially those with heart or lung conditions, avoid prolonged or intense activities and take frequent breaks if outdoors.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s AirNow map, the air quality index exposed a red “unhealthy” status across Wisconsin and northern Iowa, with similar patterns observed in northern Michigan. This index, ranging from green to maroon, assesses air cleanliness and potential health effects over short periods based on pollutants like ozone and particle pollution, primarily from these fires.
Despite improvements on Wednesday, when only a light haze veiled Minneapolis’ skyline, air quality in Minnesota had significantly worsened the previous day with an index reaching into the “very unhealthy” range. By Wednesday afternoon, the index eased to 60, marking a “moderate” level.
Canada’s current wildfire challenges have sent smoke from fires near Winnipeg, Manitoba towards the U.S. This marks yet another challenging wildfire season for Canada, which in 2023 experienced its worst, blanketing much of North America in hazardous smoke. Although the smoke is traveling toward Europe, it’s not anticipated to impact surface air quality deeply, as per reports from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.
However, its trajectory underscores the scale and intensity of these wildfires as they continue to impact vast regions. The carrying smoke over long distances indicates the ferocity and enormity of the situation, as further analyzed by Copernicus.