Canadian wildfire smoke to linger over Michigan on Monday, prompting pollution advisory

Carol Thompson, The Detroit News on Aug 3, 2025

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Forecasters extended a weekend statewide air quality advisory into Monday because they expect smoke from Canadian wildfires to linger over the state and cause unhealthy levels of particle pollution.

Air quality will be poor enough on Monday to be unhealthy for sensitive groups, such as children and the elderly. At times, air quality may be bad enough that it is unhealthy for everyone, according to Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy meteorologists.

Levels of particle pollution are expected to drop throughout the da,y but remain in the range that is not healthy for people who are sensitive to the pollutant.

"Wildfire smoke looks to persist throughout Michigan through at least Monday as winds shift," EGLE meteorologist Alec Kownacki said.

A high-pressure system is causing wildfire smoke to linger in the Midwest, EGLE forecasters said in a Sunday update. The system is slowly moving to the northeast, but the smoke will take additional time to dissipate.

Another plume of Canadian wildfire smoke may blow into Michigan from the south. That plume is the same one that hit the area late last week, but changing wind patterns could kick it back to Michigan.

"Concentrations-wise, it is still unclear on how thick the returning plume will be, but as we see the light at the end of this smoky tunnel, smoke concentrations will slowly dissipate going into Tuesday," EGLE forecasters said.

The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, which is charged with notifying the region when air quality advisories affect southeast Michigan, encouraged people to avoid strenuous outdoor activities when air quality is poor, especially if people have respiratory issues or heart disease. SEMCOG also recommended people monitor for symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, chest tightness or dizziness.

People should keep their windows closed, run central air conditioning with filters if possible, and avoid outdoor burning or using wood-burning stoves, SEMCOG said.

This is the 10th air quality advisory or alert to cover southeast Michigan. EGLE issued six air quality alerts last year and 21 in 2023, a year when Michigan was inundated with smoke from northerly wildfires.

Particulate matter pollution can affect people's lungs and hearts, causing things like aggravated asthma, decreased lung function, heart attacks and difficulty breathing. Fine particles, like the ones in wildfire smoke, are especially dangerous, as they can get into people's bloodstreams.

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