6 days ago
Air Quality Alerts issued as smoke returns
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — Wildfires continue to burn across Canada, with 213 active fires ongoing, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre Inc. Of those, only 75, as of June 3, are under control.
The fires have burned around 2.0 million hectares or around 7,722 mi2. And smoke from these wildfires continues to impact the United States, including right here in Siouxland.
We had a brief reprieve from the smoky skies and reduced air qualities as we began the week Monday. However, behind the passage of a cold front the smoke is returning as winds shift back to the north/northwest.
Expect intermittent thick smoke across Siouxland. Milky skies and hazy sunshine are likely, along with degradations to air quality at times over the next 24-48 hours.
Air Quality Alerts are in effect from now through midnight Wednesday for: Antelope, Burt, Cedar, Cuming, Dakota, Knox, Pierce, Stanton, Thurston, and Wayne counties in NE Nebraska.
Additional Air Quality Alerts will be in effect through 6 AM Wednesday morning for all of NW Iowa.
Generally expecting air quality indices to fall between the moderate to unhealthy range.
Air qualities within this range have the most impact on those in more sensitive groups, including:
People with heart disease/other cardiac issues
People with lung issues (.)
Older Adults (
Children/Teenagers (their lungs are still developing, and they breathe more air per pound of body weight than adults)
Pregnant women/people
Outdoor workers
Those within these more sensitive groups should limit the intensity and duration of outdoor activities and watch for the following:
Coughing and/or wheezing
Shortness of breath
Chest pain/tightness
Unusual fatigue
Heart Palpitations
Symptoms of an asthma attack
Symptoms of a heart attack
Those with asthma should follow their action plan and keep their relief medicine/inhalers handy.
Degradations in air quality can affect everyone though.
You may notice mild symptoms such as coughing, throat irritation, and/or sinus irritation. A few steps you can take to minimize the impact of air quality are to limit the intensity and duration of outdoor activities or even reschedule outdoor activities, if needed.
For the latest updates on air quality in your area, visit You can find other air quality-related resources there as well.
For the latest weather any time in Siouxland, visit the .
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