Canadian wildfire smoke pushes North Dakota air quality to ‘very unhealthy’ levels

Picture of the Canadian wildfires in 2024. Courtesy of CBS News Radio.

Air quality in western and central North Dakota reached “very unhealthy” levels Wednesday morning as smoke from Canadian wildfires settled over the state. Canada has 226 active fires – about half out of control – that have burned an estimated 8.6 million acres this year, an area 5.8 times larger than Stutsman County. Air patterns brought the smoke south across the border, with hazy skies expected to be an intermittent issue throughout the summer. Wildfire smoke contains tiny pollutants linked to asthma, heart disease, and other respiratory problems. Conditions improved slightly by midafternoon but remained in the “unhealthy” range for air quality.