Smoky air from Canadian wildfires covers skies in the Midwest
Chicago and much of the Upper Midwest were blanketed in a smoky haze from Canadian wildfires on Tuesday, shocking many residents of the country’s third-largest city at the sudden drop in air quality and the donning of masks as they turned to ventured outside.
Chicagoans were largely spared the severe effects of wildfires earlier this month when dangerous smoke swept the Northeast and parts of the Midwest for days. But on Tuesday, they were given no reprieve, when authorities labeled the air in the city and other parts of Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan and Minnesota as unhealthy.
According to IQAir, a Swiss air quality technology company, the air quality index in Chicago reached 209 by noon, the worst reading of any major city in the world that day. In Green Bay, Wisconsin, the index was 175; in Grand Rapids, Michigan, it rose to 255. Any reading above 100 on the index is a warning for people with respiratory illnesses to take precautions.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson warned residents — especially children, the elderly, and those with heart or lung conditions — to stay indoors if possible, or to wear masks if they had to be outside, to avoid the worst effects of the smoky air.
“This summer, cities across North America experienced unhealthy air quality due to smoke from wildfires, which affected more than 20 million people from New York City; Washington, DC; Montreal; and today here in Chicago,” Mr. Johnson said in a statement. “As we work to respond to the immediate health concerns in our communities, this worrying episode shows and underscores the damaging impact the climate crisis is having on our residents, as well as people around the world.”
Similar smoke levels and possibly even thicker concentrations were expected Tuesday in other cities in the region, including Milwaukee.
“Today would normally be seen as a nice day to go outside,” forecasters at the National Weather Service office in Milwaukee wrote. “But smoke reduces visibility to just a mile to three miles today.”
Conditions in Chicago and Milwaukee are expected to improve overnight, but the haze is expected to linger on Wednesday.
Many people in Chicago seemed caught off guard by the sudden influx of smoke, as the city is rarely affected by air pollution from wildfires. “Has anyone noticed a strange sour smell in the neighborhood?” asked a North Side resident on a Nextdoor forum Tuesday morning.
Summer camps rushed to make new plans for children, keep them indoors and away from the polluted air. Along the Lake Michigan shoreline, in areas usually packed with runners, cyclists and beachgoers during Chicago’s mild summers, the lakeshore appeared largely deserted Tuesday.
The Michigan state veterinarian’s office has issued a warning to people who own animals, reminding owners that strenuous activity should be avoided — and that even birds can be affected by unhealthy air.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency issued its 23rd air quality warning of the year on Tuesday — a record high — as a blanket of smoke hovered over much of the state.
David Brown, an air quality meteorologist with the agency, said Minnesota usually issues no more than two or three air quality warnings a year. The previous record was 21 warnings for all of 2021, he said.
Mr Brown said wildfire season in Canada usually doesn’t begin until early July, so Americans in northern states could face the threat of poor air quality in the coming weeks.
“There are a lot of fires that are getting really big, and the hottest days are yet to come,” he said. “These fires are likely to continue to grow.”
The latest air quality warning for Minnesota, issued Tuesday morning, was due to expire Thursday. It covers much of the southern and eastern parts of the state.
Judson JonesAnd Ernesto Londono reporting contributed.