Canadian Wildfire Smoke Reaches MI: What To Know

MICHIGAN — Hazy skies are expected in parts of Michigan Friday because of Canadian wildfire smoke.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) has issued statewide air quality advisories due to the ongoing wildfires in central and western Canada.

Officials said conditions may be unhealthy for sensitive groups and there is a possibility that hourly levels could reach the unhealthy range for a short period of time.

The advisories are for Friday and into Saturday morning.

"The 2023 Canadian wildfire event emphasized how important communication is when wildfire smoke may impact Michigan’s communities," said Annette Switzer, EGLE’s Air Quality Division director. "We want to ensure residents are informed and know how to protect themselves and their families."

Health officials urged residents to monitor air quality conditions in their area and adjust their level of physical activity according to the Your Health and Wildfire Smoke guidance.

"We want Michigan families to know how to best take precautions to protect their health and safety during air quality events," said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive. "We urge Michiganders to check the Air Quality Index regularly to decide if they should be participating in outdoor activities and use the website to help determine what actions they should take to keep themselves and their families safe."

You can check the air quality index here: https://www.airnow.gov/aqi/aqi-basics/

As of Friday, there were 175 wildfires were burning across Canada with most of them out of control, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center.