Canada wildfires create heavy smoke that's expected to reach the US: See photos
The heavy smoke from the active wildfires in Canada is expected to hit parts of the United States.
Rising heat, winds, and dry air sparked blazes in the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, according to the country’s Department of Natural Resources. Residents in the United States are expected to face poor air quality from the fires as soon as May 30.
The fires have burned hundreds of thousands of acres in both provinces and resulted in the evacuation of at least 17,000 people, in what officials are calling "a very serious situation."
Smoke from the blazes is expected to fall heavily over Midwestern states, including Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan, and cut across the country to reach the Carolinas by May 31, according to FireSmoke Canada, a team of forecasters at the University of British Columbia.
Photos show the Canadian wildfires, forcing mass evacuations
Authorities raise the alarm about air quality
Authorities in Minnesota, which began to feel the impact of the blazes on May 29, warned of unhealthy levels of exposure to fine particles from the wildfires. Symptoms include everything from shortness of breath to heart attack and stroke.
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for Paste BN. You can reach her at tardrey@gannett.com.