Lincoln health department issues air quality advisory for Canada wildfire smoke

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department issued an air quality advisory Monday afternoon.

Due to wildfires running rampant in Canada, smoke has begun drifting into the United States, affecting the air quality.

Smoke from these fires may reach levels that are unhealthy for children, older adults, and those with asthma, lung disease and other respiratory or heart conditions.

The health department advises people affected by the smoke to limit any activity outdoors, and especially to limit the intensity of any outdoor activities.

The highest potential for smoke impacts is Monday night through Tuesday morning.

You can check the current local air quality at airnow.gov.

When the Air Quality Index is in the orange category, that means the air quality is unhealthy for people with higher sensitivity to air pollution.

When it’s red, the air quality is unhealthy for anyone.

You can also visit the Environmental Protection Agency’s fire and smoke map (fire.airnow.gov) for information on current air quality conditions.