By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
LUDINGTON — A thick haze settled over Mason County and much of the Great Lakes region Wednesday as smoke from dozens of wildfires burning in Canada drifted south into Michigan, prompting a statewide air quality alert.
The smoke originated primarily from large wildfires burning in northwestern Ontario, particularly north of Lake Nipigon and near the Manitoba border, with additional smoke coming from fires in northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Persistent northwesterly winds carried the smoke hundreds of miles across Lake Superior and Lake Michigan into the Lower Peninsula.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) issued a statewide Air Quality Alert beginning Tuesday night and continuing through at least Thursday. Officials said elevated levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) may create unhealthy conditions for sensitive groups, with air quality potentially reaching unhealthy levels for everyone in some areas.
The haze reduced visibility across western Michigan throughout the day, leaving the sun with an orange appearance and producing the smell of wood smoke in many communities.
According to Environment Canada, more than 100 active wildfires are burning across northern Ontario, with smoke affecting much of Ontario as well as portions of the Upper Midwest and northeastern United States. Air quality warnings have also been issued across much of Ontario because of the smoke.
Health officials recommend that children, older adults, pregnant women and those with asthma, heart disease or other respiratory conditions limit prolonged outdoor activity while smoke levels remain elevated. Even healthy individuals may experience eye and throat irritation, coughing or difficulty breathing during periods of heavy smoke.
Residents are encouraged to keep windows closed when possible, run air conditioning on recirculate if available, avoid strenuous outdoor exercise and monitor local air quality conditions through AirNow.gov or EGLE’s air quality resources.
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