Air quality Chicago: More Canadian wildfires send plume of unhealthy smoke again during busy Sunday
Air Quality Alert for Chicago in effect until 12 a.m. Monday
CHICAGO (WLS) -- A recent outbreak of wildfires in western Canada is again sending a plume of unhealthy smoke into the United States, during a busy Sunday in Downtown Chicago.
An air quality alert is in effect for Chicago until midnight Monday due to the smoke. A visible haze and smoky smell were present throughout the area Sunday, and the air quality is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups.
Sunday's on State has drawn thousands of additional people outdoors and into the Loop, and the air quality is leading some to once again don face masks.
"We both exercise pretty frequently, so I feel like we're not sensitive asthma-wise, but we just try to take care of our bodies," said Hazel Camino.
The Midwest will continue to see poor air quality and decreased visibility into early next week as the smoke lingers. This time, the smoke plume is not coming from the Canadian province of Quebec. It is instead funneling across Canada from much further away in the West.
Chicago experienced some of the worst air quality in the world amid heavy smoke in late-June.
"It just took us by surprise because yesterday seemed to be a little more cloudy," said Bill Camino "And this morning it looked like, yeah, it looks like it's happening again."
While the city is nowhere close to the levels of three weeks ago, when Chicago registered the world air quality in the world, there are currently enough pollutants in the air for healthy people to feel the effects.
"The 153 that it's at now, that's enough to make people start to feel it, and if you're out there for long periods of time, that might start to irritate your throat, your nose, your eyes," said Steve Mosakowski, Director of Respiratory Care at Rush University Medical Center.
While most people will only feel irritation from the hazy air quality, respiratory experts do warn that young children, the elderly and those with underlying illnesses, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma, need to take extra care.
Recommendations from the U.S. EPA for at-risk groups:
- Avoid strenuous outdoor activities
- Keep outdoor activities short
- Move physical activities indoors or reschedule them altogether.
"Those people should be very aware," Mosakowski said. "They should have their medication with them all the time and be prepared to take that when they go outside."
Mayor Brandon Johnson released a statement encouraging Chicagoans to carpool or use public transit to help limit the amount of additional pollution added to the air while the air quality alert is in effect, and also recommended wearing masks when they are outside for their own protection.
"We are acutely aware that the recent weather events prominently impacting our City this summer are the direct result of the climate crisis. We will take every effort to protect our community from these immediate threats and mitigate ongoing impacts through robust climate actions. We will closely monitor any worsening air conditions and will provide updated guidance as needed," the statement said in part.
For those who want to wear a mask outdoors, simple cloth or surgical masks are not recommended. Experts advise that only a well fitted N95 or KN95 mask will filter the pollutants in the air.
CNNWire contributed to this report
