Canadian wildfires lead to hazardous haze in western North Dakota; health officials urge caution
By BLAKE NICHOLSON
Canadian wildfires lead to hazardous haze in western North Dakota; health officials urge cautionBLAKE NICHOLSON
Legacy High students Atiana Corder, left, and Riley Schaner, right, wore face masks while walking in the smoke along Edwards Avenue while on a school tour of Bismarck State College on Wednesday afternoon. Teacher Akoya Shuler said the masks were provided and several students thought they would be helpful considering the unhealthy air conditions caused by wildfire smoke from Canada. She also said the students toured the University of Mary earlier in the day. In the background are people attending the Law Enforcement Training Center on the BSC campus.
Thick smoke from wildfires raging in western Canada blanketed much of North Dakota on Wednesday, leading to unhealthy and in some places hazardous air quality.
Weather and health officials in the state warned residents about the smoky skies and poor breathing conditions.
"People reacting to smoke to the extent that it affects breathing should seek immediate help from a medical provider," the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality said in a statement.
Smoke began entering the state on Tuesday, and it moved west to east on Wednesday as a cold front pushed through, reducing visibility in many areas, according to the National Weather Service. Visibility was down to a quarter mile at the Bismarck airport, near the agency's local office, at midafternoon.
Wildfire smoke from Canada drifting over North Dakota
Extremely small particles of ash and soot, known as particulate matter, were increasing due to the smoke, according to DEQ. Particulate matter can irritate the respiratory system, especially for those who suffer from lung conditions or allergies. The agency advised those people and also the elderly and young children to avoid prolonged outdoor exposure.
Information on wildfires and air quality is on the DEQ website, at bit.ly/3OhrD7E. The air quality across much of western and central North Dakota on Wednesday afternoon was rated either "unhealthy" or "hazardous." The smoke rolled into Bismarck around 2 p.m., and the air quality rating quickly went from "good" to "unhealthy," according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency's map of fire and smoke conditions, at https://fire.airnow.gov/. The rating just to the north of the capital city was "hazardous."
The AirNow mobile phone app, and many other weather apps, also include air quality information.
Dozens of fires this month have scorched about 1 million acres in the Canadian province of Alberta. Fires also have broken out in the provinces of British Columbia and Saskatchewan. Smoke has traveled as far north as the Arctic Circle and as far east as the East Coast of the U.S., according to AccuWeather.
The smoky conditions in North Dakota were expected to ease on Thursday, according to the weather service. But the cold front will linger. Cold temperatures are expected Thursday night into Friday morning, and areas of frost with the potential to impact sensitive vegetation are possible across western and portions of central North Dakota. Bismarck's overnight low is forecast to be 37 degrees.