Wildfire smoke brings hazardous air quality in Wisconsin. Here’s how to stay safe 40%
By Astrid Code13% Wisconsin Watch12%
7/16/2026, 1:30:05 PM
BS Summary: This article contains 25 faulty reasoning types, including Ambiguity (Equivocation), Indoctrination, and Negativity Bias, with Appeal to Authority as the most egregious example at 30.2% saturation with 297 hits. Analysis detected 1,545 faulty-reasoning hits from 983 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 45.1% and a BS Rank of 40% (13,168 of 21,887 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 60.20% of the article peer group.
Wildfires in northern Minnesota and Canada have caused some of the worst air quality on record for Wisconsin.
The entire state remains under an Air Quality Advisory for fine particulate matter from wildfire smoke until noon on Friday, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
As of 2 p.m.
Thursday, most of the state’s air quality was in the “very unhealthy” or “hazardous” Air Quality category.
That means that everyone, not just sensitive groups, should avoid outdoor activities, the DNR said.
In areas near Superior, the Air Quality Index rose above 800, while parts of eastern Wisconsin including Milwaukee and Kenosha measured above 650.
National Weather Service meteorologist Benjamin Sheppard told Wisconsin Watch these levels are some of the worst on record.
“What we’ve heard from some of our partners is that the Air Quality Index values that we’re seeing are definitely either never before seen or up there,” Sheppard said.
“I’ve been working here for three years, and I’ve seen nothing anywhere near that high.”
Smoke from wildfires in northern Minnesota and Canada wafted in much of Wisconsin on July 16, 2026, including near the Capitol building in Madison.
(Natalie Yahr / Wisconsin Watch)
Index values in Wisconsin have exceeded the records set by wildfires in June 2023, DNR spokesperson Craig Czarnecki said in an email, noting that the figures “will still need to be quality assured.”
At that time, levels peaked at 273, which means concentrations in Superior and the Milwaukee area have more than doubled.
A Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources air quality map.
The U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends setting up a portable air cleaner or filter in a room that can be closed off from outside air and setting your air conditioner to recirculate mode if possible or close the outdoor intake damper.
Fine particulate matter, also known as PM2.5, is a main pollutant released from wildfire smoke that can enter the bloodstream.
Dr.
Joan Schiller, a member of Healthy Climate Wisconsin and retired medical oncologist, told WPR this can exacerbate lung conditions.
“I don’t think people realize how far away you can be from the fire itself and still have health problems,” Schiller said.
“These health problems typically manifest themselves as respiratory problems, such as exacerbation of COPD or asthma or emphysema.”
How can I check the air quality in my area?
The Environmental Protection Agency monitors the air around the country and compiles an air quality index, or AQI.
(Courtesy of U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency)
Here’s what to know about the index and how to keep tabs on your area, especially in U.S. regions dealing with smoke from Canadian wildfires.
What does the air quality index measure?
The index rates how clean or polluted the air is each day.
The EPA uses this measure to keep tabs on five kinds of air pollutants.
The main concern from the wildfire smoke is fine particle pollution.
These particles are tiny enough to get deep into the lungs.
They can cause short-term problems like coughing and itchy eyes and, in the long run, can affect the lungs and heart.
What do the numbers and colors mean?
The index categories typically only run from zero to 500 – although levels have reached well above 500 in multiple parts of the state.
The higher the number, the worse the air quality.
That range is broken down into six color-coded categories.
Green or yellow — in the zero to 100 range — the air is pretty clear.
Once it gets up to orange, the air quality could be a concern for sensitive groups like children, older adults or those with health conditions.
In the red and purple zones, the air quality is considered unhealthy for everyone.
And if the index gets to maroon — at 301 or above — pollution levels are hazardous.
At these high levels, take precautions to avoid breathing in the dangerous air.
That can mean reducing your outdoor activities, running air purifiers inside and wearing a well-fitting mask like an N95 when you’re outside.
What’s the air quality right now?
Check AirNow.gov , which updates every hour.
The site shows a real-time map of the air quality across the country and also includes a forecast for the day ahead.
The map pulls in measurements from a network of air monitoring stations across the country.
States and cities may also offer more local guidance.
Washington Park in Milwaukee is draped in smoke from wildfires in Canada and Minnesota on Thursday, July 16, 2026.
(Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)
How long will smoke last in Wisconsin?
According to Sheppard and the National Weather Service (NWS), a southerly wind on Friday means smoke is anticipated to retreat from west to east – likely bringing an end to the advisory for much of the state.
“With those southwest winds, the air is going to get kind of clearer and healthier in a southwest to northeast manner,” Sheppard said.
“Areas further north and east in Wisconsin are going to be most likely to hang on to that smoke.”
Areas along Lake Superior may also need to have the advisory extended, NWS said.
But Sheppard said winds could bring back a second wave of smoke to the rest of the state as soon as Saturday.
“The weather models tentatively are telling us that the second batch of smoke could be as strong, or perhaps even worse,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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Wildfire smoke brings hazardous air quality in Wisconsin.
Here’s how to stay safe is a post from Wisconsin Watch , a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009.
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