MONROE — Canadian wildfires have cast a haze over much of the eastern and midwestern United States this summer. While wildfires are normal in parts of Canada in the spring and summer, this year’s weather patterns have exacerbated the problem.
As of June 29, there were more than 503 active wildfires burning in Canada, up nearly 50 from just two weeks ago. Of those wildfires, 258 have been deemed out of control by the Canadian Interagency Forest fire Center.
Across the country, from Minnesota to New York and even into the Carolinas, more than 100 million people are affected
During an El Nino Oscillation event, warm ocean water develops in the central and eastern Pacific. Accompanied by high air pressure from the western Pacific and low air pressure in the eastern side, an El Nino event can last up to four years. The change in air pressure and moisture in the air around the Pacific can shift the jet stream considerably. Instead of flowing west to east across Canada, the winds are flowing southwest, dipping into the Midwest, which has in turn brought smoke from the wildfires. The smoke even skipped across the Atlantic Ocean this week, reaching Europe.
While more of a smokey haze than a thick cloud of smoke, the sun and moon appear more orange and redder than normal, and visibility is limited to just a handful of miles at best. Effects are vast to humans and animals that are outside and breathe in the fumes, as well. All of Wisconsin has spent the past week in a “very unhealthy” purple alert rating by authorities. People with respiratory and other illnesses often feel their symptoms worsen.
“With no end in sight to the Canadian wildfires and west to northwesterly winds expected to persist from south central Canada into the north central to northeast U.S., poor air quality conditions are likely to continue,” the National Weather Service warned on June 29.
Authorities have advised for people to stay indoors with central air running if possible, and, if the need arises to go outside to either work, the store or other errands, to wear a KN-95 or N-95 mask, the same as was widely suggested during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is recommending Wisconsinites to reduce their time outdoors due to ongoing air quality alerts resulting from Canadian wildfire smoke,” the DNR stated in a recent press release. “Health impacts are expected across most of Wisconsin today, where the air quality index is expected to range from the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” to the “unhealthy” level. People with heart or lung disease, older adults and children should consider making outdoor activities shorter and less intense and reduce heavy exertion. Consider rescheduling or moving events indoors.”
Organizations have also been shuttering gatherings this past week. The Monroe public pool closed due to the poor air quality, while little league softball and baseball practices saw a spike in absences.
The wildfires in Canada — and even some across Wisconsin and the rest of the U.S. — are naturally occurring events. However, scientists for decades have said the global issue of rising temperatures is leading to climate change on a massive scale. Among the problems is rising temperatures in the oceans, stronger storms and deeper droughts across the Earth.
Wisconsin is once again experiencing some of the most dangerous air quality in the world as smoke from Canadian wildfires blankets our region, warned Clean Wisconsin, an environmental policy group, wrote in a press release June 27. The group pointed out that summer is the time of the year when Wisconsinites relish being outdoors, but instead people across the state are being warned to stay inside.
“We cannot accept this as our new normal in Wisconsin,” said Clean Wisconsin climate, energy and air program director Chelsea Chandler. “The public health threat that we’ve been enduring for weeks must be a wakeup call for policymakers. Fires in places like Canada and the western United States are both products and causes of climate change. There is action we can take right now to ensure that Wisconsin is part of the climate solution.”
Chandler said that while recent federal action on climate change will have an impact, it’s not enough on its own and that more work needs to be done at the state level.
Those actions should include:
● Rapidly shutting down Wisconsin’s remaining coal power plants
● Drastically increasing funding for programs that help Wisconsinites save energy and money
● Investing in public transit and electric vehicle charging infrastructure
● Supporting large-scale wind and solar development
● Removing barriers to rooftop and community solar
● Incentivizing farming practices that truly store carbon in the soil and restore soil health
● Ending investments in fossil fuel infrastructure like new methane gas plants and oil pipelines
“These ideas are not new; in fact, many other states are already taking action. For example, Wisconsin is last in the Midwest when it comes to wind energy production, far behind our neighbors.” Chandler said. “We’ve got to realize that Wisconsin is not an island. No community is safe from the impacts of climate change. The question is, what are we — and our state leaders — doing to help?”
To follow up to date air quality, go to AirNow.gov. To see a current map of wildfire smoke in North America and a two-day forecast, go to https://firesmoke.ca/forecasts/current/.
“This is a dynamic situation, and conditions may change rapidly over the next few days. It is important to pay close attention to the air quality in your area and take action, especially if you don’t feel well,” the DNR stated on June 27. “During this air quality advisory, the DNR and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) recommend that everyone keep outdoor activities light and short. Watch for symptoms like coughing and shortness of breath as a sign to take a break or move indoors. Sensitive groups, which include people with heart or lung disease, older adults, children, those who are pregnant, and those who work outdoors — should consider moving all events inside.”