Canadian Wildfire Smoke Hits Northern Illinois: What To Do Now

If the sky over Rockford and Northern Illinois looks unusually hazy or the sunrise and sunset seem extra red, you're not imagining things. And, you're not imagining that you're smelling what seems to be campfire smoke.

That smoke is from hundreds of wildfires burning across Canada and has drifted hundreds of miles south, settling over much of Illinois and creating unhealthy air quality in many areas.

The smoke is made up of tiny particles known as PM2.5, which are small enough to work their way deep into your lungs. Depending on wind direction and weather conditions, air quality can quickly change from merely hazy to unhealthy in just a few hours. That's why air quality alerts have been issued for much of northern Illinois, including the Rockford area.

silhouette of trees under cloudy sky during daytime

Should You Be Worried About The Health Effects Of The Wildfire Smoke?

For most healthy adults, a short trip outside isn't likely to cause serious problems.

But people with asthma, COPD, heart disease, young children, older adults, and pregnant women should be especially careful. Even healthy people may notice irritated eyes, a scratchy throat, coughing, or shortness of breath if they spend long periods outdoors.

Here's what should you do while the smoke lingers throughout Northern Illinois and Chicagoland:

• Keep an eye on the Air Quality Index (AQI) before spending extended time outside.
• If the AQI reaches unhealthy levels, limit strenuous outdoor activities like jogging, biking, or mowing the lawn.
• Keep windows and doors closed when smoke is heaviest, especially if you have air conditioning that can recirculate indoor air.
• If you must be outside for an extended period during poor air quality, a properly fitted N95 mask offers much better protection than a cloth or surgical mask.
• If you have asthma or another respiratory condition, keep your medications close by and follow your doctor's recommendations.

a large plume of smoke billows into the sky

Now, Here's The Good News

Relief appears to be on the way. Meteorologists expect Thursday to be the worst day for smoke across Northern Illinois.

As weather systems move through and winds shift Thursday night into Friday, the thickest smoke should begin moving out of the region. By the weekend, most forecast models show much cleaner air returning, although a little lingering haze is still possible depending on wind direction.

And that's the thing. Wildfire smoke forecasts are highly dependent on wind direction. If the Canadian fires continue burning intensely and winds shift back to the northwest, additional rounds of smoke could return later next week. So even though this particular smoke plume should move out, it may not be the last smoky day of the summer.