Wildfire Smoke Triggers Air Quality Alert Across MI

MICHIGAN — Forecasters issued an air quality alert Monday for most of Michigan as smoke from Canadian wildfires blows back into the state.

The alert was extended from the weekend into the lower half of Michigan's lower peninsula, as northwest/west winds blow smoke from wildfires burning in the west and central Canada into the region, creating "unhealthy" air quality, according to the National Weather Service.

Forecasters expect the plume of smoke to begin thinning out of the region sometime during Monday's evening hours.

Exposure to air pollutants from the wildfire smoke can cause headaches, irritated eyes and sinuses, fatigue, difficulty breathing, chest pains, asthma attacks, irritated throat and increased coughing, the weather service said.

Officials warned sensitive groups, such as people with lung disease (including asthma), heart disease and children and older adults should limit prolonged or heavy activity outdoors.

"Smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to affect air quality across the state," Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Natasha Bagdasarian. "We are urging Michiganders to check the Air Quality Index regularly to decide if they should be participating in outdoor activities and using the website to help determine what actions they should take to keep themselves and their families safe."

Live color-coded air quality conditions that indicate if air quality is healthy (green) or unhealthy (yellow, orange, red and purple), along with steps to protect your health, can be found at the AirNow.gov website and mobile app.

Wildfire smoke from Canadian wildfires burning hundreds of miles away has prompted numerous air quality alerts in Michigan for much of the summer. The hazy skies prompted alerts in multiple Upper Peninsula counties over the weekend before the smoke blew into the state's lower region.