Minnesota, United States

The smoke from the wildfires burning in Canada has reached the US state of Minnesota and parts of Wisconsin prompting officials to issue air quality alerts, on Monday (May 13) morning. This comes as more than 100 active wildfires are burning in Canada with nearly 40 of them labelled “out of control,” reported ABC News. 

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Air quality alerts in US

The smoke from the wildfires in Canada, according to the American media, reached the US states of Montana, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, on Sunday (May 12). 

The situation was particularly bad in Minnesota where the state’s Pollution Control Agency issued the alert for the entire state on Sunday which was supposed to end on Monday afternoon (local time) but was later extended until 11:00 pm (local time). 

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Meanwhile, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in most of the northern part of Minnesota was between 150-200 which is categorised as “unhealthy”. Overnight, Bemidji, a city in northern Minnesota recorded an AQI of 212, where residents reported smelling smoke in the air. 

In neighbouring Wisconsin, the state’s Department of Natural Resources issued an air quality alert for the northwestern part of the state. The alert went into effect on Monday morning, 10:00 am (local time) and will end on Tuesday (May 15) at midnight. 

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This comes as the department forecasted the AQI for dozens of counties to be between 101 and 150 which is deemed “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups”. 

The smoke is reportedly expected to drift to Omaha, Nebraska by Monday evening. 

Situation in Canada

Across the border from the US, Canada is witnessing the season’s first major wildfires which have spread to around 24,710 acres across Western Canada, as of Sunday. 

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Over the weekend, firefighters in Canada were battling several wildfires. According to ABC News, at least 37 of the 141 active fires burning in Canadian wildfires have been labelled “out of control.” 

In British Columbia, thousands of residents in Northern Rockies Regional Municipality and Fort Nelson First Nations were evacuated. 

(With inputs from agencies)