Poor air quality remains concern for Upper Midwest to Northeast amid Canadian wildfires
Millions of people in at least 10 states from Northern Minnesota to New Hampshire woke up to hazy skies as hundreds of wildfires in Canada pushed smoke across the border.
The National Weather Service for Detroit, Michigan, said an Air Quality Advisory is in effect until Tuesday night.
Meanwhile, the National Weather Service for Twin Cities, Minnesota, said lingering wildfire smoke will move out of the area by early afternoon, making way for a "pleasant Summer day."
The air quality index on Tuesday across the Midwest and the Northeast ranged from "moderate" to "unhealthy" for sensitive adults. Some areas in northern Wisconsin, eastern Pennsylvania, northern Vermont, and parts of Michigan had an "unhealthy" air quality index.
Wildfire smoke is a concern because it contains small particles that are less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, which can reach deep inside the lungs, exacerbating or increasing the risk of chronic lung diseases, asthma, and lung cancer.
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Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
California fires are burning, incoming heat wave could make things worse
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Southern California's hottest days are expected to be Wednesday through Friday, when much of the interior is under heat advisories as temperatures are forecast to range from the upper 90s to the triple digits across many valleys and deserts. Palm Springs could reach up to 118 on Thursday while downtown Los Angeles could hit 90. Weather service officials warn that there will be an increased risk for heat sickness and fires to start and grow out of control. Read more: California is on pace for its worst wildfire year in recent memory, and SoCal is mostly to blame Already, much of inland Southern California is under a wildfire smoke advisory from three large fires burning in the region: the Gifford fire in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties — now California's largest blaze of the year at 82,000 acres, the Rosa fire in Riverside County and the Gold fire in San Bernardino County. 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Crews there have been battling the flames in 90-degree heat since last week, but are bracing for temperatures near 100 through Friday, which will create more challenging conditions and increase fire behavior, said Santa Barbara County Fire Capt. Scott Safechuck. "And then for the firefighters, they're exerting themselves in extreme temperatures," Safechuck said. Crews also are battling two smaller fires in inland Southern California, both of which ignited Monday. The Rosa fire in the Santa Rosa Mountains in Riverside County appeared to be holding at 1,2000 acres as of Tuesday morning, though evacuation orders remained in place. In the San Bernardino County mountains, the Gold fire burned through 348 acres Monday and remained at that size Tuesday morning, despite officials reporting challenging conditions, including short-range spot fires and rugged terrain. Neither the Rosa fire nor the Gold fire had any containment as of Tuesday morning. 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In the L.A. area, officials are expecting triple-digit temperatures in the hottest valleys and high deserts Thursday and Friday, including Santa Clarita and Lancaster, while highs are forecast to reach into the 90s in Sherman Oaks and Pasadena. Bryan Lewis, a weather service meteorologist in Oxnard, said that Southern California could come close to reaching its hottest day this year on Thursday, when the heat wave is expected to peak in the Southland. Temperatures should fall slightly by the weekend, but remain several degrees above average for days, possibly through next Wednesday, Lewis said. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Boston Globe
4 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Wildfire smoke is becoming more problematic in New England; major contributor to poor air quality
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USA Today
6 hours ago
- USA Today
Gifford Fire burns 80,000 acres, causes mandatory evacuations. See wildfire maps.
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