Smoke from Canadian Wildfires Causes Air Quality Alerts in 11 US States
CNN – Smoke from the Canadian wildfires continues to impact the United States, triggering air quality alerts in at least 11 states across the Northern Plains, Midwest, and Great Lakes region on Sunday. Nearly 60 million people, including residents of Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, Cedar Rapids, and Cleveland, are predicted to face reduced visibility and poor air quality.
The air quality index in a large part of the northern Plains, from Montana to Illinois, is currently in the “unhealthy” range, level 4 out of 6. Although the concentration of smoke will begin to decrease, the US National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center warns that it will still be harmful to sensitive groups in some regions at the beginning of the next week.
Winds are expected to carry the smoke to the east, resulting in a smoky haze in the northeast early this week. These conditions are a consequence of around 400 fires started in the Canadian province of British Columbia last week. A significant number of these fires were sparked by 51,000 lightning strikes from thunderstorms. Unfortunately, some of these thunderstorms produced inadequate rainfall to assist in extinguishing the fires, exacerbating dangerous drought conditions in the province.
Canadian authorities announced on Sunday that a second firefighter had died fighting the wildfires. The Northwest Territories authorities expressed their sadness and condolences in a statement. Last week, another firefighter lost their life while responding to a fire near Revelstoke in southeastern British Columbia.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his grief through a tweet on Sunday, extending his support to the families of the fallen firefighters.
Smoke from wildfires carries small pollutants, referred to as particulate matter or PM2.5, which can infiltrate the lungs and bloodstream when inhaled. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn that these pollutants can cause breathing difficulties, as well as eye and throat irritation. Furthermore, long-term exposure to such pollutants has been linked to more severe health conditions, including lung cancer.
The United States will likely remain at risk of smoke and poor air quality due to Canada experiencing its worst fire season on record. So far this year, over nine million acres have burned in Canada, an area roughly the size of Indiana. British Columbia alone has seen over 1,000 fires since April, burning nearly triple the average land compared to the past decade.
The impact of the Canadian wildfires on air quality and health is a concerning issue that will require ongoing monitoring, as weather patterns and fire outbreaks continue to affect parts of the United States. Authorities are urging residents in affected regions to take necessary precautions and stay informed about air quality updates.
CNN’s Eric Zerkel and Susannah Cullinane contributed to this report.
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