Canadian Wildfire Smoke Blankets Detroit Area

The metro Detroit area has the worst air quality in the world Thursday morning as smoke from Canadian wildfires settles across the region.

The air quality index shows the region at 518, which is well into the "hazardous" category, which is considered hazardous to the health of everyone, according to air quality tracker IQAir.

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Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is in second place with an air quality index of 500 followed by Minneapolis at 369, according to the Swiss air quality technology company.

A quality alert is active through Thursday and will likely be extended into Friday.

National Weather Service forecasters expect the pollutants to be in the range of "unhealthy for sensitive groups," with a potential to move into the more serious "unhealthy" range.

Hourly concentrations may reach very unhealthy to hazardous at times, especially in the northern parts of the state.

Officials recommend avoiding strenuous outdoor activities, especially those with heart disease and respiratory conditions like asthma.

Officials also suggest keeping windows closed overnight to prevent smoke from getting indoors and, if possible, run central air conditioning with MERV-13 or higher rated filters.

"We want Michigan families to know how to best take precautions to protect their health and safety during air quality events," Michigan's chief medical executive Natasha Bagdasarian said. "Wildfire smoke is expected to affect air quality this week, starting in northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. 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."

The wildfires are burning forests in west-central Ontario, releasing an incredible amount of smoke, forecasters said.