The Sun Struggled to Break Through Heavy Smoke About an Hour After Sunrise in Southern Sheboygan County on Tuesday. Photo by Kevin Zimmermann
The air was so thick that you not only could see it across the street, but an acrid odor accompanied the haze as smoke from Canadian Wildfires covered Wisconsin, Michigan and northern Indiana.
At 4 p.m. the air quality monitor covering Sheboygan and northern Ozaukee Counties was just below the “very unhealthy” threshhold at 196. But by far, the worst air quality within hundreds of miles recorded at 3 p.m., was measured in Waukesha at a “hazardous” level of 312, prompting advisories for everyone to avoid all outdoor physical activities in that vicinity.
During a midday Tuesday briefing, Ron Schneider of the Wisconsin DNR said that many of the fires are burning in northern, remote areas of the provinces that may be largely inaccessible, or simply can’t be addressed because of a shortage of crews to fight the fires. Schneider noted that wildfires are not uncommon in Canada, but the season normally begins in July. Canada has brought in crews from France, Italy, Australia, Mexico and others to help extinguish the fires, but as long as the fires burn, we will be vulnerable to more smoke. And while Wisconsin does have a compact with Manitoba and Ontario that enables sending firefighters northward to help in the effort, no such request has since been made, and state resources are being reserved to protect Wisconsin as drought dominates the landscape.
Craig Czarnecki, also of the Wisconsin DNR, concurred with the National Weather Service that the expiration of the Air Quality Advisory on Thursday remains on track, and we should see some improvement later on that day. He noted that the last air quality advisory for P2.5 pollution before this year was in 2011; there have been nine issued so far this year.
As for the July 4th weekend, forecasts look favorable for experiencing a good, to moderate air quality. And as of now, the smoke should not impact visibility of the many fireworks displays that will be decorating the skies over the Independence Day weekend.
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