No alert issued in Summit County for moderate air quality caused by Canadian, US wildfires

Bryce Buyakie, Akron Beacon Journal
·2 min read

Smoke continues to blow through Northeast Ohio from Canada and other wildfires out west, causing air quality conditions to deteriorate. Particle pollution is expected to remain moderate from Wednesday through Saturday.

Although no air quality alert was issued for the region, the air quality index for Wednesday as of 9 a.m. is moderate at 80, according to AirNow.gov.

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It is recommended that people who are very sensitive to particle pollution including those with respiratory conditions limit their outdoor activities.

Are Canadian wildfires still raging?

A screenshot of the AirNow smoke map that shows a series of wildfires contributing to poor air quality in Ohio.
A screenshot of the AirNow smoke map that shows a series of wildfires contributing to poor air quality in Ohio.

A look at the AirNow map of smoke cover shows gray, overlapping bands that reach into the Southern Canadian provinces and the Northern territories.

Multiple strips extend from Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories into the Great Lakes Region, with Michigan and Northeast Ohio at its heart.

The Western half of Canada is dotted with hundreds of wildfires. Many are listed as "out of control," according to Natural Resources Canada, a department of the Canadian government.

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A screenshot of a wildfire map showing the extent of blazes that rage across Canada. Although most fires listed as "out of control" are located in the west, many can be found throughout Central and Eastern Canada.
A screenshot of a wildfire map showing the extent of blazes that rage across Canada. Although most fires listed as "out of control" are located in the west, many can be found throughout Central and Eastern Canada.

A large number of fires are burning through the Central and Eastern regions of the country.

Canadian fires are not only to blame. They are the center of a continent-spanning band of wildfires stretching as far north as Alaska and south into Mexico.

AirNow maps of the U.S. show concentrations of blazes in Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon, Idaho, Washington and Montana with many fires in Alaska.

Although these blazes are not the primary cause of poor air quality in Ohio, government maps show smoke blowing east into the Midwest.

Forecasting through Saturday

AirNow forecasts moderate air quality conditions through Saturday.

The National Weather Service in Cleveland predicts Thursday will be the hottest day this week with temperatures reaching upwards of 88 degrees in the Akron-Canton region.

The weather should be dry Wednesday and Thursday. Storms are expected Thursday night into Friday before turning dry again on Saturday.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Air quality Akron, Ohio, moderate caused by Canadian, US wildfires