With more than a hundred wildfires burning in Canada, the smoke is bringing potentially dangerous air quality conditions to parts of the northern United States.
Air quality alerts are in place for the state on Monday, creating hazy conditions that could be unhealthy for sensitive groups.
On Tuesday, the smoke will travel to eastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin, also potentially appearing over Minneapolis and Omaha, Nebraska.
As of Monday, the areas of Canada with the most fires include British Columbia with 69 and Alberta with 49.
Aircraft and dozens of personnel from other Canadian provinces and the United States — including Arizona, Oregon and Alaska — are being sent to help fight the wildfires, according to Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe.
Smoke from over 100 wildfires burning in Canada is causing potentially hazardous air quality conditions in some areas of the northern United States.
On Monday, the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre reported that 181 wildfires were burning in Canada, with 92 of those fires being classified as “out of control,” which means they are being monitored and evaluated but not immediately put out.
Over the weekend, the smoke from these fires moved in rounds across the Upper Midwest, with the next round expected to arrive on Monday and Tuesday.
According to Monday’s air quality index forecast, a large portion of Minnesota and Wisconsin are classified as having unhealthy conditions for sensitive groups (level three out of six), while a small area of Wisconsin, including Milwaukee, from Waukegan to Sheboygan, is classified as unhealthy (level four out of six).
Throughout the day, the dense smoke will continue to spread across the northern and central regions of Minnesota after starting to emerge over northwest Minnesota on Monday morning. Monday’s state-wide air quality alerts could result in hazardous conditions for vulnerable populations.
The smoke will move to northwestern Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota on Tuesday, and it may also show up over Minneapolis and Omaha, Nebraska. However, the smoke may be dispersed and its exact location may become unpredictable due to an incoming cold front that brings with it thunderstorms and strong winds.
British Columbia has 69 fires, while Alberta has 49 as of Monday.
According to the Associated Press, the provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba declared states of emergency last week as a result of the fires, and about 17,000 residents have already been evacuated.
Saskatchewan Public Safety stated on Sunday that the combination of dry weather and “little-to-no precipitation” will keep fueling the fires and make it challenging for authorities to control them.
According to Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, dozens of personnel and aircraft are being sent from other Canadian provinces and the United States, including Arizona, Oregon, and Alaska, to assist in battling the wildfires.
On Sunday, Moe stated on X, “We stand stronger because of you, and we are truly grateful.”.
According to Moe, there have been “over 200 wildfires” in Saskatchewan this spring as a result of a “significant lack of moisture” in the province’s northern regions.
