MINNEAPOLIS — Smoke from Canadian wildfires drifting into Minnesota threatened air quality across the state Wednesday, with pollution reaching near-record levels unhealthy for all groups, not just those most at risk.
The wildfire smoke prompted the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to expand an air quality alert for northern Minnesota to include central Minnesota, effective until 6 a.m. Friday. A separate alert was in effect due to high levels of ozone for southeast Minnesota until 8 p.m. Wednesday.
By Wednesday afternoon, air quality levels in parts of the state had reached the red level, which is unhealthy for everyone and particularly dangerous for people in sensitive groups — those with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes or heart disease, as well as children and seniors.
