Air Quality Advisory issued statewide for wildfire smoke from Canada

An Air Quality Advisory has been issued statewide July 30 and 31.

Issued by the the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), the advisory is due to wildfire smoke from Canada, and is for all Michigan counties.

The wildfire smoke is in the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (Orange AQI) range, with some areas in the Unhealthy (Red AQI) range.

Canadian wildfire smoke moved into the Upper Peninsula Tuesday and parts of the northern Lower Peninsula Wednesday morning, with smoke expected to linger across the region through Thursday, EGLE said.

State officials are recommending that people avoid strenuous outdoor activities during this time, especially those with heart disease and respiratory diseases like asthma.

Monitor for symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, dizziness, or burning in the nose, throat and eyes.

Reduce or eliminate activities that contribute to air pollution, like outdoor burning and the use of residential wood burning devices.

Keep windows closed overnight to prevent smoke from getting indoors, and run central air conditioning with MERV-13 or higher rated filters.

Find the latest air quality and forecasts for the state here.