Chicago and Indiana counties under air quality alert due to Canadian wildfire smoke until Thursday, National Weather Service says
Share this @internewscast.com

CHICAGO (WLS) — The Chicago area is under an air quality alert until Thursday due to the Canadian wildfire smoke until Thursday.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency declared an “Air Pollution Action Day” for the greater Chicago area until midnight on Thursday.

Children, and those with pulmonary or respiratory diseases such as asthma, are recommended to limit their time outdoors.

The alert was in effect for northern and northeast Illinois and Northwest Indiana.

A tracker with the latest updates on air quality levels for areas across the state can be found on the AirNow government website.

The video in the player above is from a previous report.

Conditions at ground level are unhealthy in Midwest

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s AirNow map indicated a vast area of “unhealthy” air quality stretching across eastern Minnesota into western Wisconsin and northern Iowa, marked in red. The Minneapolis-St. Paul metro region particularly experienced “very unhealthy” conditions displayed in purple, where Air Quality Index (AQI) values reached around 250, although there was a slight improvement by late morning.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) evaluates the cleanliness or pollution levels of the air, emphasizing the potential health effects one might experience a few hours or days after exposure. The AQI considers pollutants like ground-level ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. The primary concern in this situation stems from particulate matter due to fires.

The AQI scale ranges from green, indicating satisfactory air quality with minimal health risk, to maroon, which signals hazardous conditions. At this level, there are health warnings of emergency situations where the likelihood of health effects is heightened for everyone, according to AirNow.

The Canadian fire situation

Canada is having another bad wildfire season, and more than 27,000 people in three provinces have been forced to evacuate. Most of the smoke reaching the American Midwest has been coming from fires northwest of the provincial capital of Winnipeg in Manitoba.

Winnipeg hotels opened Monday to evacuees. More than 17,000 Manitoba residents have been displaced since last week, including 5,000 residents of the community of Flin Flon, nearly 400 miles (645 kilometers) northwest of Winnipeg. In neighboring Saskatchewan, 2,500 residents of the town of La Ronge were ordered to flee Monday, on top of more than 8,000 in the province who had been evacuated earlier.

In Saskatoon, where the premiers of Canada’s provinces and the country’s prime minister met Monday, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said all of Canada has come together to help the Prairie provinces.

Two people were killed by a wildfire in mid-May in Lac du Bonnet, northeast of Winnipeg.

Canada’s worst-ever wildfire season was in 2023. It choked much of North America with dangerous smoke for months.

AP News contributed to this report, including: Tammy Webber in Fenton, Michigan, and Scott McFetridge in Des Moines, Iowa.

Copyright © 2025 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Rosa Parks and Helen Keller statues will be unveiled at the Alabama Capitol

Statues of Rosa Parks and Helen Keller Set for Unveiling at Alabama Capitol

Rep. Laura Hall, who played a crucial role in the legislation permitting…
Taylor Swift earns first Songwriters Hall of Fame nomination in debut year of eligibility

Taylor Swift Celebrates Her First Nomination for Songwriters Hall of Fame in First Year of Eligibility

In a groundbreaking move, pop sensation Taylor Swift might soon make history…
NYC socialist mayoral candidate Mamdani's 911 plan called 'worst idea' by former NYPD

Former NYPD Criticizes NYC Mayoral Candidate Mamdani’s Controversial 911 Reform Proposal

Mamdani calls for ‘reorganizing’ NYPD 911 response In a mayoral debate held…
King Charles, Queen Camilla pray with Pope Leo in historic step for churches and welcome respite from Epstein scandal

King Charles and Queen Camilla Engage in Historic Prayer with Pope Leo, Offering a Church Unification Milestone Amid Epstein Scandal Distraction

In a landmark visit to the Vatican, King Charles III of Britain…
Suspect Keon King charged with murder in death of Philadelphia woman Kada Scott; new details revealed

Philadelphia Tragedy: Keon King Faces Murder Charges in Kada Scott’s Death – Latest Updates Unveiled

PHILADELPHIA — Keon King, the man initially arrested in connection with the…
Chilton County dog trainer found guilty in animal cruelty case

Chilton County Dog Trainer Convicted: Shocking Animal Cruelty Case Unveiled

CHILTON COUNTY, Ala. (WIAT) — A dog training facility owner in Verbena…
5 takeaways from the demolition of the White House’s East Wing

Key Insights from the East Wing’s White House Transformation

The iconic East Wing of the White House, a space historically utilized…
Expert warns critical hours slipping away as kidnappers likely to move US missionary in Niger

Urgent Countdown: US Missionary’s Fate Hangs in Balance as Kidnappers Prepare to Relocate in Niger

A security specialist has highlighted the urgency of the initial 48 hours…
FBI opens investigation after driver allegedly rams ICE vehicle during Arizona traffic stop attempt

FBI Investigates After Driver Allegedly Collides with ICE Vehicle in Arizona Traffic Stop

In a startling event on Thursday morning, a vehicle carrying two Immigration…
Manhunt underway after college student attacked on campus following reported road rage incident: police

Authorities Launch Search Following Campus Assault on College Student Stemming from Alleged Road Rage Incident

Authorities at a Maryland university have initiated a manhunt after a student…
‘He knew how to swim’: Family rejects ‘accident’ as Houston bayou death mystery deepens

Family Disputes Accident Claim in Houston Bayou Tragedy: Skilled Swimmer’s Death Sparks Mystery

The perplexing case of Kenneth Cutting Jr.’s death in a Houston bayou…
ALDOT cooperating with investigators following shooting that led to Kimber Mills' death in central Alabama

ALDOT Collaborates with Authorities in Investigation of Fatal Shooting of Kimber Mills in Central Alabama

On Sunday morning, a tragic shooting occurred during a bonfire gathering in…