Dangerous Air Quality Leads To Closures In Highland Park

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — Park district officials announced facility closures and programming changes Monday due to an air quality alert.

Air in Lake County has reached "very unhealthy" levels as a result of smoke from Canadian wildfires, according to the National Weather Service and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

Representatives of the Park District of Highland Park announced all summer camps have been moved indoors and all other athletic programs or games have been canceled for the rest of the day.

Rosewood swimming beach, the Park Avenue boating facility and the Hidden Creek Aquapark have all been closed for the rest of the day.

The Sunset Valley Golf Club and Highland Park Golf Learning Center remained open, although park district representative encouraged players to stay in their comfort levels.

Chicago had the worst air quality of any major city in the world Tuesday, per the World Air Quality Index. It was followed by Detroit and Minneapolis, two other cities affected by the Canadian wildfires, according to the Swiss air quality tracker.

For those that must go outside, environmental officials recommend wearing N95 masks. Surgical masks will not provide adequate protection against particulate matter from wildfires.

The air quality alert is in effect through midnight.

Earlier: Wildfire Smoke Causes Unhealthy Air Quality In Chicago Area