As events take place across southeastern Wisconsin, experts are cautioning people to limit their time outside due to the continued wildfires in Canada.
An air quality advisory, issued by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Friday, remains in effect until Midnight Monday morning. Several counties in southeastern Wisconsin, including Milwaukee County, are within zones where the air is in the “Unhealthy For Sensitive Groups” index, meaning “those with heart or lung disease, older adults, children, those who are pregnant, and those who work outdoors,” should refrain from being outside for extended periods of time, while those not in those groups should limit time outside.
Other counties in northern and western Wisconsin are seeing “Unhealthy” levels of air quality where residents should remain inside as much as possible.
The DNR says symptoms of extended exposure to unhealthy air include coughing and shortness of breath. They also suggest closing windows and doors to prevent smoke from entering the house.
The quality is still much better than at the end of June, when air quality was considered “hazardous,” as Milwaukee at one point had some of the worst air quality in the nation.