Air quality advisory issued statewide due to Canadian wildfire smoke

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — An air quality advisory has been issued statewide through Saturday morning due to smoke from wildfires in Canada, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy said.

EGLE said the conditions may be unhealthy for sensitive groups.

The city of Grand Rapids is encouraging residents, especially those with heart disease and respiratory diseases, to avoid strenuous outdoor activities. To help prevent smoke from coming indoors, the city recommends keeping windows closed overnight and running central air with MERV-13 or higher rated filters. The smoke is expected to linger in Michigan through the weekend before seeing some improvement early next week.

“The 2023 Canadian wildfire event emphasized how important communication is when wildfire smoke ma