Smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to impact air quality across BWCA, North Shore area

Lingering smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to be an issue across the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Minnesota’s North Shore this summer.

The most recent smoky days across northeastern Minnesota, July 14 and 15, brought a strange hue to the sunset Friday night and lingered deep into Saturday across the BWCA.

If it seems like there have been an unusually high number air quality alerts this summer, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency says that’s correct. The MPCA has reported at least 25 air quality alerts this year, breaking the previous record of 21 that was set two years ago. Minnesota usually averages two or three alerts in a season, according to the Associated Press.

More than 100 million Americans have dealt with poor air quality this summer due to wildfire smoke from Canada. Breathing in the smoke presents health concerns and may result in coughing, stinging eyes and headaches, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In this report shared with WTIP in July, Dr. Laalitha Surapaneni, with the University of Minnesota Medical School, shares the negative health impacts of wildfire smoke and how you can protect yourself. Audio below.

Joe Friedrichs July 18, 2023