Canadian wildfire smoke engulfs US, triggers air quality alert in Minnesota

Posted on May 14, 2024   |  

Over 100 wildfires are currently burning in Canada, sending smoke into the United States and prompting Minnesota to issue its first air quality alert of the year.

Among the 141 active fires in Canada, at least 37 are considered "out of control," including one in British Columbia that has spread to 4,200 acres, leading to evacuations.

Most of the wildfires, about 90, are located in British Columbia and Alberta provinces.

Canada's National Preparedness Level has been raised to level 2 out of 5 due to increasing wildfire activity.

Smoke from the Canadian wildfires has reached states from Montana to Wisconsin, with Minnesota experiencing particularly heavy smoke, leading to an air quality alert.

Air quality in northern Minnesota has been "unhealthy," with the Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching levels above 200, notably impacting areas like Bemidji.

The Parker Lake fire, named by the British Columbia Wildfire Service (BCWS), had expanded to 8 square kilometers (3 square miles) by Saturday morning.

Around 3,000 residents of Fort Nelson, located in northeast BC, were instructed to evacuate as a precaution.

In Alberta, residents in the Grande Prairie region received evacuation alerts, with some urged to leave due to a fire burning 4 kilometers east of TeePee Creek.

Residents of Fort McMurray, a town with a population of approximately 68,000, were advised to be ready for potential evacuation as an uncontrolled blaze burned about 25 kilometers southwest of the city.