Heavy smoke coming out Forest fires blazing in Canada and Minnesota is sweeping much of the Midwest and Northeast US this week, impacting air quality as millions of people are exposed to dangerous levels of air pollution.
More than 100 wildfires are burning in Canada and winds are carrying the smoke southeast. Several forest fires are raging in northern Minnesota.
High levels of fine dust in the air due to smoke can be unhealthyespecially for sensitive groups such as children and people with heart or lung diseases.
Air quality today
Detroit, Minneapolis And Chicago placed in the top five most polluted Air quality warnings stretched across the world’s largest cities from Minnesota to parts of the Northeast on Thursday.
Minnesota officials issued one Air quality warning until Friday for areas including the Twin Cities metropolitan area, with very heavy smoke expected in the northeast corner of the state. Air quality in northeastern Minnesota reached dangerous levels, making the place unsafe for everyone.
CBS News
Officials in Michigan and Wisconsin also warned residents of air quality problems that could last for days. The entire state of Michigan was under one Air quality warning Thursday, and it could be extended if necessary.
An air quality advisory was in effect for all of New York state on Thursday, and officials said N95 masks were being distributed there Commuters in New York City.
Gary Hershorn/Getty Images
Pennsylvania declared a Code Red air quality alarm for Thursday as wildfire smoke causes unhealthy pollution for everyone, the state Department of Environmental Protection said.
Air quality warnings were issued by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection for the entire state.
As a large plume of smoke from the fires entered the Boston area, the sky turned from a milky white to an ominous brown-yellow. CBS News Boston reported.
“It almost felt like you were at a campground with a fire going,” said James Venezia of West Roxbury said the broadcaster.
The yellowish haze also descended on Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP
Wildfire smoke maps
The following maps show the wildfire smoke forecast for Thursday and Friday:
CBS News
“Not good from a health perspective”
People should stay indoors as much as possible to avoid smoke and extreme heat, said Tyler Hasenstein, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Chanhassen, Minnesota.
“The combination of these two things is not good from a health perspective,” he said.
Particulate matter pollution from wildfire smoke can cause shortness of breath, coughing, dizziness or fatigue and worsen heart and lung disease and other chronic health problems. Experts recommend reducing or eliminating outdoor activities, wearing an N95 mask if you must be outside, and keeping the air indoors cleaner by closing windows and running an air purifier or air conditioner. In the long term, exposure to particulate matter from wildfire smoke is a leading cause of premature death.
“Continuing exposure to this air pollution over time increases the risk of developing chronic diseases in the future,” said Dr. Alexander Azan, assistant professor of population health and medicine at NYU Langone Health, told CBS News.
A study published earlier this year found that chronic exposure to air pollution from wildfires is linked Tens of thousands of deaths annually in the United States.
“Whether you’re someone who works outdoors (or if you have a job that you just can’t get done today or tomorrow), the best way to protect yourself is to purchase an N95 or KN95 mask,” Azan said.
Map of Canadian wildfires
Dan Westervelt, an associate professor at Columbia University’s Climate School, said severe drought conditions combined with heat in Canada and the U.S. have created “a perfect storm for really dry conditions, providing a lot of fuel to burn these wildfires.” Research shows that rising temperatures are leading to more frequent and intense fires caused by the burning of coal, oil and gas.
This map shows the extent of Canada’s fires, most of which are burning out of control.
Mehmet Yaren Bozgun/Anadolu via Getty Images
A dramatic video captured the moment a freight train was suddenly surrounded by a wall of burning trees near Armstrong, Ontario, earlier this week. A panicked crew watched everything around them burn, unable to move until another train passed.
“This could potentially overtake us here, it’s gotten a little scary,” a crew member said in the video.
Canadian National Railway later suspended rail service there, but said all passengers made it through safely.
