Hazardous Air Quality Alert issued for area

The outside air quality on Monday deteriorated to the point that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) issued an alert that runs until at least noon Wednesday, June 4. 

Ground-level smoke from Canadian wildfires moved into Northwestern Minnesota behind a cold front Monday morning. As a result, the agency issued a rare air quality alert for the entire state of Minnesota. 

In Northwestern Minnesota, the alert was deemed “Hazardous,” meaning that everyone is at risk for irritated eyes, nose, and throat, as well as coughing, chest tightness, or shortness of breath. Anyone could experience serious heart and lung effects, such as an asthma attack, a heart attack, or a stroke, the MPCA said in its announcement. 

All people in Northwestern Minnesota were advised to avoid outdoor physical activities. Sensitive groups should stay indoors, maintain low activity levels, and keep indoor air as clean as possible, the agency said. 

“In areas where air quality is in the maroon AQI category due to wildfires, the sky will look smoky. The air will seem hazy or smoky, and you won’t be able to see long distances. The air will smell strongly of smoke,” the MPCA said.

The expected precipitation across northern and central Minnesota may not help improve air quality much, the MPCA reported. Smoke will begin to clear in northwest Minnesota early Tuesday morning, and air quality will improve from northwest to southeast from Tuesday through Wednesday morning. The most significant impacts on air quality are expected to occur across northwest and north central Minnesota, the MPCA release read. 

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources announced Monday that burning permits would not be activated this week, at least until noon on Wednesday.