Huntley Firefighters Respond To Smoke Complaints

responded to calls of smoke Tuesday morning but learned that fire was actually located several states away.

“Smoke usually carries. We’ve had smoke carry for several miles but not over several states,” Huntley Deputy Fire Chief Kenneth Caudle said. “I’ve been doing this for 25 years, this is the first time I’ve seen this.”

The cause of the smoke and burning smell in northern Illinois is due to a huge forest fire in Minnesota. The smoke is getting into the main airstream and bringing the smoke into our area, according to a City of McHenry alert issued at 11:58 a.m. today, Sept. 13.

The forest fire is in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northern Minnesota, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The Journal Sentinel reported that the northwest winds sent ash and smoke into the area reducing visibility in Wisconsin.

The National Weather Service Chicago has issued a special weather statement due to smoke from a Minnesota forest fire. According to NWS the smoke traveled more than 400 miles due to a combination of sinking air and northerly winds.

NWS warns the smoke will persist through the afternoon and into the evening hours.

Huntley firefighters were responding to the two calls for smoke around the same time an alert about the Minnesota fire was issued, Caudle said. The alert stated the smoke entered a jet stream headed over Illinois and several other states.

No calls for people having difficulty breathing have been reported, he said.

“It smells like someone burning leaves,” Caudle said. “It looks like a hazy day, a real heavy humidity day.