Poor air quality in Chicago area from Canadian wildfires, creating unhealthy conditions for all
Behind the cold front that finally brought temperatures down from the suffocating heat and humidity that have enveloped the Chicago area for the last few weeks, hazy and smoky skies have filtered back in.
The Canadian wildfire smoke has traveled down to the surface, creating unhealthy air quality for everyone, and especially for people with health conditions or who are very young or elderly. Visibility is also poor, as low as two miles in some area.
The worst of the visibility and air quality reported so far Thursday are in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin.
The wildfire smoke is expected to linger Thursday night and into Friday. At times you may even be able to smell the smoke in the air.
All groups, especially sensitive groups, should limit their time outdoors Thursday, and keep windows and doors closed in these conditions.
The air quality will improve slightly Friday, from unhealthy for all to just unhealthy for sensitive groups.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Kansas City air deemed ‘unhealthy' as wildfire smoke casts haze across skies
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City, as well as areas across the metro, are experiencing low air quality due to wildfire smoke. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) said winds are bringing Canadian wildfire smoke into the state, particularly central and eastern Kansas. Lions Lake to be drained in Warrensburg; anglers can remove as many fish as possible The air quality in Kansas City – both in Missouri and Kansas – is listed as 'unhealthy,' as of 9 a.m. Friday. Across the metro, also lists the air quality as 'unhealthy.' The National Weather Service issued an air quality alert Thursday morning. That means people with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children and teens are more vulnerable. These conditions are likely to persist Friday and Saturday, according to KDHE. The Air Quality Index (AQI) will likely range from 'moderate' to 'unhealthy' at times. You can view the current air quality for your area by clicking here. KDHE shared the following tips to protect your health when the air quality is low: Healthy people should limit or avoid strenuous outdoor exercise. More vulnerable people should remain indoors. Help keep indoor air clean by closing doors and windows and running air conditioners with air filters. Stay hydrated by drinking lots of water. Contact your doctor if you have symptoms such as chest pain, chest tightness, shortness of breath or severe fatigue. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
"Not out of the woods yet," BC Wildfire Service warns of very dynamic fire situations
Tens of thousands of lightning strikes across British Columbia since Wednesday have created "a very dynamic" wildfire situation, with more than half the current fires started since the storms. Emelie Peacock, an information officer with the BC Wildfire Service, said a week of dry and hot weather combined with lightning led to many new fire starts. Since Wednesday, more than 35,000 lightning strikes were recorded across the province, Peacock said. Severe thunderstorm watches remained in place on Friday for a large swatch of the southern Interior and stretching to locations into the northeast. Above-seasonal temperatures, especially in the southern Interior, roasted many parts of the province earlier in the week, Peacock said. "So, we've certainly seen the southern parts of the province really come on board later in the season than we're used to, but the southern parts of the province are now fully in wildfire season," she said in an interview Friday. The lightning storms set off 65 new fires between Thursday and Friday, with some of them burning close to communities in the Interior, in the Fraser Canyon and on the Vancouver Island. There are about 130 active wildfires burning in the province. While she said the cooling trend and showers "are going to help us out," the province isn't "completely out of the woods yet." "We will likely see new wildfire starts, what we call holdover lightning fires," said Peacock, adding the holdover fires usually take several days to become visible. Residents who were rushed out of their homes by a wildfire near Peachland on Wednesday were allowed to return home. The Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre said those at 118 properties were allowed to go home on Friday, a day after residents of about 380 homes were allowed to return. The centre said those in the 118 homes must remain on evacuation alert, although all alerts had been lifted for another 490 properties. The BC Wildfire Service said the blaze near Peachland has been classified as being held and is no longer out of control. The Nanaimo Regional District on Vancouver Island declared a state of local emergency because of wildfire burning on the north banks of Cameron Lake, about 60 kilometres from the City of Nanaimo. Homes on the north side of the lake have been ordered evacuated, while other nearby properties have been put on evacuation alert. The district said 289 properties were put on evacuation alert, while a few dozen were evacuated Thursday. Peacock said the fire, which is measured at just under a square kilometre in size and visible from Highway 4, is "burning aggressively" in terrain that is difficult to access. More than 40 firefighters and helicopters are working on the fire, and Peacock said Highway 4 is still open and unaffected. A wildfire south of Lytton, B.C., has been measured at just over 12-square kilometres in size and an evacuation order issued by the Lytton First Nation remains in place because of the blaze. The wildfire service says the fire is highly visible from Highway 1, and motorists are asked to use extra caution and be aware of their surroundings while passing through. While a cooling trend was coming for the province over the long weekend, Peacock said thunderstorm activity will continue in the North, and they will likely bring dry lightning. Peacock said people who want to get out and enjoy the long weekend are encouraged to check wildfire and driving information before they leave, as the wildfire situation is "very dynamic, and road conditions can change very quickly." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 1, 2025. Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Poor air quality continues in Illinois. Here's when it's expected to improve
The poor air quality continues to prevail in Illinois as Canadian wildfire smoke migrates south into the U.S. As a result, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has issued an Air Pollution Action Day for Friday, Aug. 1. Here's what we know. Central Illinois AQI forecast Listed below are the Air Quality Indexes for the major cities in central Illinois, as of 10 a.m. on Friday: Bloomington and Normal: 154 (Unhealthy) Decatur: 154 (Unhealthy) Peoria: 156 (Unhealthy) Springfield: 154 (Unhealthy) The AQI is expected to improve to the moderate category Aug. 2, according to Chicago Air Quality Here's the AQI for the Chicago metro area, as of 10 a.m. on Friday: Chicago: 156 (Unhealthy) North and west suburbs of Chicago: 159 (Unhealthy) South and west suburbs of Chicago: 159 (Unhealthy) Air Pollution Action Day in Illinois The IEPA issued an Air Pollution Action Day for Aug. 1 through the evening. Visibility may be reduced at times, and sensitive groups should take proper precautions. Air Pollution Action Days are declared when widespread ozone and/or particulate levels are expected to be at or above the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (USG) category of the AQI. Illinois residents are urged to reduce pollution levels. When will air quality improve in Illinois? The air quality is expected to improve by Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Smoke map Hannah Hudnall covers trending news for the USA TODAY Network and Midwest Connect. Send her a news tip at HHudnall@ This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Why is the air quality so bad today? Illinois AQI forecast, smoke map Solve the daily Crossword
