Air Quality 'Very Unhealthy' In McHenry County, Alert Issued: MCH

MCHENRY COUNTY, IL — McHenry County officials are warning residents to take caution if they are spending time outdoors on Tuesday due to air quality issues caused by the Canadian wildfires.

The county issued an alert to residents on Tuesday afternoon, characterizing the air quality in McHenry County as “very unhealthy” and said the air quality alert for the county will remain in effect Tuesday and Wednesday, health officials said.

The Illinois Protection Agency has issued an Air Quality Alert for most of Illinois. The agency said that current conditions have the potential to affect everyone and not just people with respiratory health conditions, the county said.

The McHenry County Department of Health is recommending older residents, people with heart or lung disease, pregnant women, children, and teenagers to take caution and reduce their exposure by avoiding strenuous activities, keeping outdoor activities short, and considering moving physical activities indoors or rescheduling them.

For everyone else, county health officials recommend:

• Choosing less strenuous activities, such as walking instead of running
• Shortening the amount of time you are active outdoor
• Postponing being active outdoors until air quality improves
• Keeping windows closed overnight and, if possible, running central air conditioning with furnace filters rated MERV-13 or greater
• Reducing or eliminating activities that contribute to pollution, such as the use of wood-burning devices
• Reducing vehicle trips and vehicle idling as much as possible.

A message left for a McHenry County Department of Health spokeswoman about the possible cancelation of events around the county was not immediately returned to Patch on Tuesday.