MN Wildfires Smoke Travels 300+ Miles To WI
Fire Fighters Head To MN To Fight Wild Fire
Officials say winds from the northwest will continue to spread a Minnesota forest fire that grew from 11,000 to 60,000 acres Monday night.
The Pagami Creek Fire began in the Boundary Waters following a lightning strike back on August 18. On September 13-14, Wisconsin residents from the northwoods all the way to Milwaukee smelled the smoke.
The Department of Natural Resources has not raised the particulate alert level, but local and state officials suggest at-risk residents play it safe. Those with respiratory or heart conditions as well as the young and elderly are asked to avoid the smoke which can cause irritation.
Much of the smoke and smell has cleared from central Wisconsin but the fire continues to spread.
Officials raised the air quality index to red on Wednesday for Waukesha, Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha counties until 11 p.m. because of persistent elevated levels of fine particles in the air.
DNR spokesman Bill Cosh says the red index is rare.
Federal guidelines require the air quality to be at a certain level for 24 hours before the official level is changed. Cosh says the weather conditions are improving.
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