MOORHEAD — Smoke from wildfires burning in Canada has returned to the Fargo-Moorhead area, bringing a low-hanging haze and the smell of burnt plastic in the air.
After a smoky weekend, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency issued an air quality alert through Wednesday, June 4, for the whole state. Parts of northwest Minnesota, including Moorhead, will see very unhealthy air quality index scores, while the northern Red River Valley will see hazardous air conditions.
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Connor, age 4, of Bismarck, plays at Viking Ship Park in Moorhead as his grandmother, Connie Miller, looks on. Smoky skies were prevalent in the region on Monday, June 2, 2025, as the family, who were camping at Buffalo River State Park in Minnesota, looked for activities to do in the area. "We came for some fresh air," Connor's mother, Raeann Schmitcke, said. Instead, they visited the planetarium and Hjemkomst Center.
Anna Paige / The Forum
Unhealthy air quality due to wildfire smoke is not necessarily becoming more common, according to National Weather Service Warning Coordination Meteorologist Jim Kaiser, but the area has experienced some significant instances of prolonged poor air quality in recent years.
Kaiser points to readings from an air quality sensor in Fargo, which show that air quality index values vary throughout each year, but there are two recent stretches of especially poor air quality.
In late July and early August of 2021, the region experienced a long stretch of poor air quality because of wildfire smoke during which air quality ranged from unhealthy for sensitive groups to very unhealthy. In May and June of 2023, Fargo experienced another stretch of smoke that dropped air quality to an unhealthy level.
“In comparison to the previous 25 years, you have some instances, but these two kind of really stand out as an unusual occurrence based on these measurements that we have from the data,” Kaiser said.
This week’s smoke is caused by wildfires burning in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. In the last couple of decades, Canada has seen a decrease in snowfall amounts, which melts off sooner and results in longer periods of dry conditions, Kaiser said. This allows for more fire days and more fire growth, he said.
“Because of where we reside, if there’s any sort of northwest wind, we are the recipients of all that burned material,” Kaiser said.
The alert issued by the MPCA Monday puts Moorhead, Bemidji, Brainerd and International Falls in the purple air quality index category, which indicates very unhealthy air quality. According to the MPCA, in the purple category, the risk of heart and lung health risks, like an asthma attack, heart attack or stroke, is increased for everyone.
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Air quality in the northwest corner of Minnesota, including East Grand Forks and Roseau, is even worse. That area is in the maroon air quality index category, which is considered hazardous for everyone.
Smoke is expected to clear from northwest Minnesota early Tuesday morning, according to the MPCA.
During a press conference Monday, MPCA Supervisory Meteorologist Matt Taraldsen said it is the first time the MPCA has ever issued an alert for the maroon category and the second time it has issued an alert for the purple category.
In a press release, the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality advised residents to consider limiting prolonged outdoor activities when there are smoky conditions, especially if they have respiratory conditions.
How to protect yourself from unhealthy air quality
The best line of defense against poor air quality is to limit exposure, according to Dr. Muhammad Asad Faruqi, a pulmonologist and intensivist at Essentia Health in Fargo. Faruqi treats a broad spectrum of lung disorders.
“Because it’s in the atmosphere, there’s going to be some amount of inhalation,” Faruqi said. “So the less we inhale, the better chances are that we’re not going to get affected by it.”
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Smoky skies hang over the Fargo-Moorhead region as seen from the First Avenue bridge connecting downtown Fargo and Moorhead on Monday, June 2, 2025.
Anna Paige / The Forum
He encourages people to stay inside when they can, and if they have to be outside, to wear a mask approved for the conditions, like an N95 mask or P100 respirator.
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People most at risk from wildfire smoke are those with preexisting lung and heart conditions, but even people with no health conditions can be affected by unhealthy air, Faruqi said. Exposure to unhealthy air can cause shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, headaches, burning eyes and a sore throat. For some people, breathing unhealthy air could cause a trip to the emergency room or a hospital stay.
“Listen to your body,” Faruqi said. “If you know your symptoms are bad, seek medical care.”