Again, a current wildfires outbreak in western Canada is bringing harmful smoke into the United States.
In the Upper Midwest, which includes Minnesota, Wisconsin, Upper Michigan, and Indiana, where air quality advisories warn of “unhealthy” amounts of smoke are in effect through the weekend, the smoke is already drifting into the Northern Plains and will continue to do so.
Unhealthy Plume From Canadian Wildfires
Chicago, which in late June saw some of the worst air quality in the world due to heavy smoke, as well as Iowa and Illinois as a whole, could also encounter problems as a result of the smoke.
This time, the Canadian province of Quebec is not the source of the smoke cloud. It should not reach the Northeast like it did in early June, when New York City’s skies turned an apocalyptic shade of orange, as it is instead funneling over Canada from far farther away in the West.
When ingested, particulate matter, also known as PM 2.5, which is found in wildfire smoke, can enter the bloodstream and lungs.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these pollutants most frequently cause breathing problems and eye and throat irritation, but they have also been linked to more serious long-term health problems like lung cancer.
Read more: Canadian Wildfires: Canada’s Response To The Devastating Infernos
Dry Thunderstorms Fuel Fires In British Columbia, Canada
The BC Wildfire Service said that 51,000 lightning strikes from thunderstorms were responsible for over half of the approximately 400 fires that ignited in British Columbia, Canada, in the previous week.
In a province where the level of drought is at its greatest, some of those thunderstorms were “dry” or only generated little amounts of rain to put out any fires.
Because Canada is going through its worst fire season on record, there will likely be smoke in some areas of the US for the foreseeable future, depending on weather patterns and fire flare-ups.
Read more: Fire Tragedy: Florida Wildlife Center Mourns Loss Of Animals