Wildfire smoke from Minnesota and Canada will blanket Wisconsin this week, with air quality potentially reaching “very unhealthy” levels, particularly in the northern part of the state.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources issued an advisory July 14 saying the smoke is expected to enter northern Wisconsin on Tuesday evening and continue pushing south through July 16, at which point it could have covered the entire state.
The smoke is traveling from fires in Ontario and northern Minnesota, where the U.S. Forest Service has closed the popular Boundary Waters Canoe Area and is evacuating campers.
The smoke advisory is set to end in Wisconsin on July 16 at noon but “will likely be extended for at least some portion of the state” beyond that time, according to the DNR.
It comes alongside another heat wave in which “feels like” temperatures could surpass 100 degrees across huge swaths of the state. A map of site where people can cool off in Milwaukee can be found on the city’s website at city.milwaukee.gov/Health/Cooling-Sites.
The primary air pollutant that wildfire smoke carries is fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, which is linked to lung and heart problems. Across the state, levels could range from “unhealthy for sensitive groups” to “very unhealthy” this week.
When the air quality index is at very unhealthy levels, everyone should limit outdoor physical activity and people with heart or lung issues should avoid all physical activity outdoors. A properly fitting N95 mask can reduce PM2.5 inhalation.
This story will be updated.
Madeline Heim covers health and the environment for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact her at 920-996-7266 or mheim@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wildfire smoke from Minnesota, Canada to blanket Wisconsin this week
Reporting by Madeline Heim, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Madeline Heim, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
