With over 80 wildfires burning nearly 1.3 million acres in the Western, there’s immense attention on the area’s air pollution and the health of its citizens. Although the wildfires are localized in the US West and Canada, they have had far-reaching effects. Smoke from wildfires in the West has traveled all the way to the East Coast, and over the last month, the air quality in Minnesota and Wisconsin fell to hazardous levels, even worse than that of wildfire zones in Montana and California.
Measuring the air quality impacts of wildfires far from the source
The chart below compares air quality of Minnesota, Montana, and California from July 8 through August 5, 2021. It displays Air Quality Index measurements of PM2.5. PM2.5 is a term that describes fine inhalable particles, with diameters that are generally 2.5 micrometers and smaller, often generated by combustion such as burning wood or biomass. Minnesota (the blue line in the chart) endured PM2.5 spikes in late July and early August—direct results of Canadian wildfires.
Air quality in your community
This data shows us that air quality can be affected by events thousands of miles away. Any community or neighborhood can be at risk of hazardous air and particulate matter. Staying informed is the best way to manage those risks and make critical decisions to protect people from exposure. TSI Link is the tool that TSI customers use to track and share air quality they measure with products like
BlueSky Air Quality Monitor. Even if you're not a TSI customer, you can see real-time air quality data with a free account on
tsilink.com. Sign up today to learn more about air quality in your part of the world.
