Full Notification

Wildfire smoke from several fires burning north of Kenora in northwestern Ontario has been swirling around north of Lake Superior for several weeks with new fires recently starting in northern Manitoba.

On Monday some of this smoke is forecast to sweep southward behind a cold front, including across the Bad River Reservation.  Fine particle pollution (particles less than 2.5 microns in size) may reach into levels that are unhealthy for sensitive groups (those with asthma, lung disease, heart disease, children, and older adults) and these groups should limit their time outside or avoid prolonged/heavy exertion when outside. The current forecast shows the main part of this smoke will reach us midday today for several hours, but the UP of Michigan is expected to reach higher levels for longer.

Much better conditions are expected Tuesday morning as the smoke moves out of the area as cooler and cleaner air moves in from the northeast. These fires in Ontario and Manitoba are not under control and more smokey periods are possible in the upcoming days or weeks, depending on weather patterns. As western US wildfires increase in the coming months, that smoke is also expected to move across our area at times.

Real-time air quality data across Wisconsin can be found here:  https://airquality.wi.gov/home/map (this page has been having problems displaying data, the problem may not yet be fixed)

Real-time air quality data across Minnesota can be found here: https://www.pca.state.mn.us/air/current-air-quality

EPA’s Fire and Smoke mapper shows mapped areas of smoke above the ground and real-time monitoring sites:  https://fire.airnow.gov/