Heavy smoke from a series of large wildfires burning in Canada and Minnesota is expected to engulf large swaths of the U.S. Midwest and Northeast this week, exposing millions of people to dangerous air pollution. The situation has been exacerbated by unusually hot summer temperatures, creating a hazardous environment for residents across the region. Warnings regarding unhealthy air conditions were in effect Wednesday, stretching from Minnesota through Toronto and into New York.
In far northeastern Minnesota, the 1.1-million-acre Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, an area nearly the size of Delaware, was closed on Tuesday. Superior National Forest spokesperson Joy VanDrie stated that approximately 6,000 to 10,000 people were inside the vast wilderness, which is primarily accessible by canoe, when the decision was made to evacuate. Rangers worked to warn visitors about roughly 17 fires that were sparked by lightning more than a week ago and were spreading through the area. VanDrie described the evacuation as an arduous job, as campers had to canoe for hours or carry their boats over land to reach safety. By Wednesday, officials estimated that about 90% of the people had been successfully evacuated, with no injuries or deaths reported.
Campers who were rescued this week described skies that darkened rapidly from smoke, noting they could feel the heat as they paddled or were transported by boat. Jan Bailey, who was camping with her husband, daughter, son-in-law, two grandchildren, and three dogs, recounted noticing wispy smoke on the horizon before a raging firestorm developed two hours later. After a paddleboarder with a satellite phone reached their campsite, they contacted forestry rangers who sent a boat to rescue them. Bailey told Minnesota Public Radio that they had fire on both sides of them while weaving between lakes as campsites were consumed by flames.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz noted that authorities in Canada also assisted in the rescue efforts, including helping two groups of youth campers who had crossed the border. One of these groups had become stranded on an isolated sandbar. While VanDrie could not confirm when the Boundary Waters area might reopen, Minnesota officials indicated that some fires in the wilderness would be allowed to burn indefinitely while being monitored to ensure they do not threaten people or property.
More than 100 wildfires are currently burning in Canada, where a train crew in northern Ontario was filmed surrounded by flames before being safely evacuated. Winds are carrying the smoke southeast, contributing to the poor air quality. Dan Westervelt, an associate professor at Columbia University’s Climate School, explained that severe drought conditions combined with heat in both Canada and the U.S. have created a perfect storm for dry conditions that provide fuel for these wildfires. Research indicates that warming temperatures from the burning of coal, oil, and gas are making such fires more frequent and intense.
The National Interagency Fire Center reports that about four dozen large fires are currently burning across 15 states, including North Carolina, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and California. Patty Thielen, director of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, warned that significant fires could persist throughout the summer until the arrival of snow. In Minneapolis, temperatures were expected to reach 96 degrees Fahrenheit on Wednesday, with highs above 90 degrees Fahrenheit predicted for the rest of the week. Matt Taraldsen, a supervisory meteorologist with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, noted that the smoke was so thick in northern Minnesota that the sky turned an orange color similar to Mars. He added that the situation is particularly dangerous because only about half of the buildings in the area have air conditioning, and residents cannot open windows to cool off due to the dense smoke.
Theresa Taraldsen, who lives in Duluth, Minnesota, described waking up to the smell of a campfire and finding that her view of the St. Louis River was completely obscured by a white wall of smoke. She reported that the smoke caused her eyes to water and forced her to use her inhaler to manage her asthma. Experts advise that high levels of fine particulate matter from wildfire smoke can be unhealthy for sensitive groups, including children and those with heart or lung conditions, potentially causing shortness of breath, coughing, dizziness, or fatigue. Health officials recommend wearing an N95 mask if going outside and keeping indoor air cleaner by closing windows and using air purifiers or air conditioning.
Authorities in Michigan and Wisconsin have also warned residents about air quality issues that could last for several days. Reports of the smell of smoke reached New York on Wednesday afternoon, and the impact extended to Maine, where residents reported a yellowish and brownish tint in the sky. The most intense smoke is expected to spread as far south as Washington, D.C., by midday Thursday.
The best advice is to stay indoors to avoid both the smoke and the extreme heat, said Tyler Hasenstein, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Chanhassen, Minnesota.
Prolonged drought and record low snowpack levels combined to make conditions ripe for rapid fire growth.
