Smoke from Canadian wildfires prompts air-quality alert across Chicago

An air-quality alert is in place for the greater Chicago area from noon Monday through Tuesday night.

The “orange” alert indicates the air in Chicago, which hit 156 for ozone late Monday afternoon, is unhealthy for sensitive groups, including babies, children and the elderly, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency said. Air-quality index numbers below 100 are considered healthy.

Members of sensitive groups should reduce time spent outdoors and watch for respiratory issues, including shortness of breath and coughing. People should consider reducing time spent on outdoor activities and lowering the intensity of the activities. People should consider limiting use of pollution-creating devices such as cars and gas-powered lawn mowers.

Kim Biggs, information officer with the Illinois EPA, told the Sun-Times that the alert was issued based on a combination of factors, including wildfires in Canada and elevated levels of ozone and particulates combined with higher temperatures and lower winds.

For Tuesday, “we are also forecasting unhealthy for sensitive groups for all of our Chicago sites, which does trigger an ‘air pollution action day’ or an air-quality alert,” Biggs told the Sun-Times.

Smoke blowing from the Canadian wildfires in Manitoba have set off air-quality alerts across the United States.

Manitoba authorities on Friday said the region was experiencing its worst wildfire season on record in the last 30 years. More than 2.7 million acres have reportedly burned in the province, prompting a state of emergency through August 9.