Air Quality Alert Issued As Canadian Wildfire Smoke Returns To MI

An air quality alert has been issued for Michigan due to Canadian wildfire smoke.

The alert goes into effect for most of the state on Wednesday, though the wildfire smoke could move into the Upper Peninsula late Tuesday, officials said.

Overnight winds will shift to the north and push the wildfire smoke down across the rest of the state throughout Wednesday, officials said.

Officials expect the pollutants to be in the range of "unhealthy for sensitive groups," with a potential to move into the more serious "unhealthy" range.

Officials warned the alert could be extended into Thursday and beyond.

"In terms of wildfire smoke, we have been fortunate so far in 2026," Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy officials said. "Unfortunately, our luck has run out as the fires north of the Minnesota arrowhead have rapidly expanded, overnight, and satellite imagery shows large areas of smoke headed our way."

Under the alert, health officials urged residents to monitor air quality conditions in their area and adjust their level of physical activity according to the Your Health and Wildfire Smoke guidance.

They also suggest closing windows overnight to prevent smoke from getting into the home, and that central air conditioners should be used with MERV-13 or higher filters.

It's also a good idea to limit outdoor burning and use of residential wood-burning devices, so as not to add to the air pollution.

You can check the air quality index here: https://www.airnow.gov/aqi/aqi-basics/

Highs are again expected to be near 100 degrees across most of Michigan on Wednesday. Temperatures will remain above 90 degrees through the rest of the week, according to the National Weather Service.