Multiple air quality alerts were issued across the Upper Midwest on Thursday as dense smoke from Canadian wildfires drifted into the region, prompting officials to advise residents to monitor for adverse health symptoms.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) issued an advisory for more than a dozen counties after fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from the smoke reached levels considered unhealthy for sensitive groups. The event highlights the recurring public health risk from wildfire smoke, which has become increasingly common due to large-scale blazes in Canadian provinces.
The advisory, which began Thursday morning, affects the counties of Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Chippewa, Douglas, Dunn, Iron, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, St. Croix, Vilas, and Washburn. Officials traced the smoke plume to fires in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, with the haze expected to move southeast throughout the day and potentially linger into the weekend.
Health officials urged residents—especially children, older adults, and individuals with heart or respiratory conditions—to take precautions. Recommendations include limiting the intensity and duration of outdoor activities, moving events indoors, and keeping windows closed.
Residents are advised to monitor themselves for symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath, throat irritation, chest discomfort, heart palpitations, or unusual fatigue. People with asthma should follow their action plans and keep quick-relief inhalers available. Those with heart disease who experience symptoms are urged to contact their healthcare provider.
According to a Wisconsin DNR spokesperson, “Wildfires occur frequently in the US and Canada throughout the summer months, so we will continue watching for potential smoke impacts as long as there are active wildfires.”
The 11 air quality alerts issued in the state so far this year represent a significant increase over previous years.
While the current advisory remained in effect through Thursday, officials anticipated that a shift to southerly winds over the weekend could push the smoke northward, allowing air quality to improve gradually across most of the state.
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