Indiana is seeing poor air because of Canadian wildfires. And the haze might stick around
Canadian wildfires are creating more air quality action days throughout Indiana this week.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management says it’s measuring high particulate readings in Muncie, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, and South Bend.
Particulates are made up of microscopic dust, soot, and liquid that the agency says settles deep into the lungs and can’t be easily exhaled.
The agency says because of north to northeast winds, the particulates are expected to continue traveling through Indiana and may create poor air quality past Thursday.
Here’s advice from IDEM on how to adjust daily habits because of the current air quality:
- Avoid burning wood in fireplaces or wood-fired boilers and any other unnecessary fires
- Reminder: Indiana’s open burning laws make it illegal to burn trash and generally prohibit open burning, visit IN.gov/openburning for more information
- Reduce activity time outdoors to reduce unhealthy exposure to PM5 and avoid exercising near busy roads
- Combine errands into one trip
- Avoid using gasoline-powered snow removal equipment or gas-powered recreational vehicles
- Keep your engine tuned, and don’t let your engine idle (e.g., at a bank or restaurant drive-thru)
- Conserve energy by turning off lights or setting the thermostat to 70 degrees or lower
On Wednesday, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said the country has seen more than 400 wildfires, with more than 200 of those considered out-of-control.
Read More: A haze is blanketing major swaths of the East Coast because of the Canadian wildfires
Other states like Ohio, Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania are also seeing high levels of particulates from the wildfires.
