Air quality alert extended as smoke from Canadian wildfires remains over Rockford region

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The National Weather Service has extended its air quality alert through midnight Thursday as smoke from hundreds of Canadian wildfires continues to hover over the Rockford region and beyond.

Pollutants from the wildfire smoke can exacerbate serious health problems such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

People with respiratory conditions are urged to stay indoors and keep watch on air quality reports.

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This is the third straight day that the region’s air quality has ranged between unhealthy and very unhealthy, according to the U.S. Air Quality Index. The weather service’s air quality alert was initially set to end at midnight Wednesday, but it was extended.

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When the AQI ranges between 201 and 300, the air quality is considered unhealthy for everyone. When it’s between 101-150, that’s considered unhealthy for people with respiratory issues. As of 9 a.m. Thursday, the AQI for Rockford sat at 199, according to AirNow.gov.

The National Weather Service said active children and adults, especially those with pulmonary or respiratory disease such as asthma, should limit time outdoors.

There are roughly 500 wildfires burning across Canada as the country grapples with one of its most destructive wildfire seasons on record, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Bands of smoke and soot have covered Canada and drifted south into the United States and across the Atlantic Ocean into Europe.

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas