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Haze from Canadian wildfires triggers air pollution advisory across large part

Heavy smoke returned to Minnesota following a storm system.

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I just got an alert from the Institute for Healthy Air, Water and Soil that our Louisville air quality has just fallen into the unhealthy category, at least for people in sensitive groups.

The smoke and haze residents around Wright County, MN are seeing Monday, July 6 aren’t from a fire in a local field.

The smoke has raised the fine-particulate-matter readings in northern Minnesota to rarely seen levels that are unhealthy for most people. As of 3 p.m., fine particle levels had reached unhealthy levels in a band across the state that includes Marshall, St. Cloud, Brainerd, Duluth and Grand Portage.

The agency says air quality was good Monday morning across southern Minnesota, including the Twin Cities, though smoke could return later in the day.

Members of sensitive populations may experience more serious health effects.

Exposure to high levels of fine particles has been linked with both respiratory and cardiovascular health effects.

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Fine particle pollution can cause people to experience respiratory and cardiovascular health effects, including chest pain, shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, and fatigue. If you experience these conditions, contact your physician.

Looking past the rooftop of City Hall from downtown Minneapolis a haze caused by Canadian wildfires hugs the trees and rooftops of the surrounding community