Air quality alert issued for central, northern Minnesota due to wildfires

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (FOX 9) – An air quality alert has been issued for parts of central and northern Minnesota starting Saturday evening due to wildfire smoke. 

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) issued an alert on Saturday beginning at 4 p.m. and lasting until 6 p.m. on Monday for Brainerd, Alexandria, Hinckley, St. Cloud, Bemidji, International Falls, Two Harbors, Hibbing, Ely, Duluth, Roseau, and the tribal nations of Mille Lacs, Leech Lake, Red Lake, Grand Portage, and Fond du Lac.

The alert is due to a narrow band of heavy smoke from wildfires originating in Alberta and British Columbia moving into Minnesota by northwest winds. The smoke is expected to arrive by 4 p.m. on Saturday. 

The alert from Minnesota Pollution Control Agency reads: 

On Sunday, as the smoke band continues to move across northern Minn. additional smoke will reach the ground across northeast and central Minn. As daytime heating increases surface temperatures and mixes the atmosphere, elevated smoke will reach the ground around midday. Fine particle levels will be in the orange category across northern and central Minn. on Sunday. Winds will become westerly on Monday. The area of ground-level smoke will begin to move east and exit the state. Air quality should improve by Monday morning across central and north central Minn. However, air quality is expected to remain in the orange category across northeast Minn. on Monday.

The alert is expected to carry an orange-level air quality index, which is unhealthy for sensitive individuals.

Visit MPCA’s air quality alert page for more information on current air quality conditions.