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Smoke from raging Canadian wildfires triggers air quality alerts in US states

Smoke from dozens of raging wildfires in western Canada has drifted south into the central U.S., triggering air quality alerts.

May long weekend is one of the busiest times for human-caused wildfires. Source - Alberta Wildfire
May long weekend is one of the busiest times for human-caused wildfires. Source - Alberta Wildfire

Smoke from dozens of raging wildfires in western Canada has drifted south into the central U.S., triggering air quality alerts.

Air quality alerts have been posted as of early Friday across several states, including Nebraska, Washington, Montana, and Wisconsin, with a special weather statement about air quality in Wyoming.

Colorado’s Department of Public Health and Environment put out alerts and advisories for Saturday afternoon through Sunday afternoon, covering most of the eastern part of the state.

“People with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion; everyone else should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion,” the department said.

US EPA data as of Sunday, May 21, 2023.

Along parts of the Front Range, the air quality index reached 168 on Saturday, the department said. A reading between 151 and 200 indicates unhealthy conditions that can affect sensitive groups as well as some members of the general public.

The US Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index indicated parts of the Rockies, the Great Plains, and the Midwest, including the Nebraska Panhandle and northeast corner of the state, had “very unhealthy” air quality early Friday.

Firefighters hoping for rain and a cool-down

Meanwhile, Alberta firefighters are hoping that the cooler temperatures and showers forecast in the coming days will materialize. Forecasters were tracking a front likely to move into the province on Sunday that should bring much-needed relief, including humidity and even rain, Christie Tucker, information unit manager at Alberta Wildfire, said at a Saturday briefing.

“What we’d like to see is a long-steady rain that will soak into the forest and into the ground,” Tucker said. “That will help us more than a short burst that would bring lightning and could spark a new wildfire.”

This year, Alberta Wildfire responded to 496 wildfires burning more than 842,000 hectares, compared with just 459 hectares in 2022. “This year’s total is nearly 2,000 times last year,” Tucker said.

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We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our dear friend Karen Graham, who served as Editor-at-Large at Digital Journal. She was 78 years old. Karen's view of what is happening in our world was colored by her love of history and how the past influences events taking place today. Her belief in humankind's part in the care of the planet and our environment has led her to focus on the need for action in dealing with climate change. It was said by Geoffrey C. Ward, "Journalism is merely history's first draft." Everyone who writes about what is happening today is indeed, writing a small part of our history.

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