Smoke from wildfires in Canada is once again blanketing western and central North Dakota and degrading air quality.
Air quality in much of the region on Monday was rated as unhealthy; in the Bismarck-Mandan area it was rated unhealthy for sensitive groups, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
“Expect areas of high-level smoke to persist for the next couple of days,” the National Weather Service said.
Air quality in eastern North Dakota was rated moderate, meaning unusually sensitive people should reduce activity outdoors.
Hundreds of wildfires continue to rage north of the border in one of the worst fire seasons on record. More than 32 million acres are estimated to have been burned this summer. That equates to about 50,000 square miles. As a comparison, North Dakota comprises about 69,000 square miles.
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Wildfire smoke is particularly dangerous because it contains tiny particulate matter, the tiniest of pollutants. When inhaled, it can move deep into lung tissue and enter the bloodstream. It comes from sources including the combustion of fossil fuels, dust storms and wildfires. Such smoke has been linked to several health complications including asthma, heart disease and other respiratory illnesses.
Information on wildfires and air quality is on the state Department of Environmental Quality website, at bit.ly/3OhrD7E. The EPA’s map of fire and smoke conditions is at https://fire.airnow.gov/. The AirNow mobile phone app, and many other weather apps, also include air quality information. Wildfire smoke pattern predictions can be found at https://firesmoke.ca/forecasts/current/.
