WEST MICHIGAN — During Air Quality Alerts or Clean Air Action Days due to wildfire smoke, it is recommended that people with respiratory diseases limit their time outdoors. Depending on the amount of smoke, the air quality index can vary. This will adjust the action needed my members of the community!
If West Michigan falls under the "orange" or "unhealthy for sensitive groups" zone, for example, people with respiratory concerns should limit their time outdoors. This is typically the threshold for Clean Air Action Days. Sensitive groups are categorized as people with lung disease (including asthma), heart disease, children, and older adults.
During elevated wildfire smoke days, West Michigan could fall under the "red" or "purple" categories. That would mean that everyone should limit their time outdoors, respiratory concerns or not.
In addition to reducing time outdoors, members of the community are also encouraged to reduce or eliminate activities that could contribute to air pollution. That includes outdoor burning or use of residential wood burning devices. People are also encouraged to reduce vehicle trips or vehicle idling, which could generate additional ozone in the atmosphere.
You are encouraged to keep windows closed overnight to prevent smoke from getting indoors during Clean Air Action Days. If possible, run central air conditioning with MERV-13 or higher related filters.
For information regarding current conditions of your air quality through AirNow, click HERE.
Canadian wildfire smoke has played a large role in our West Michigan forecast this summer. In previous years, Clean Air Action Days were only issued due to elevated amounts of ozone in the atmosphere. For the first time ever, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) issued a Clean Air Action Day due to wildfire smoke during the summer of 2023.
Alec Kownacki, a meteorologist with EGLE, is a part of the team who decides if West Michigan needs to be under a Clean Air Action Day due to wildfire smoke.
“Specifically for smoke, we look at concentrations of PM 2.5, which stands for particulate matter of 2.5 microns or smaller," said Kownacki. "It is very, very small and fine dust-like ... smaller than the size of a human hair.”
Once the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) determines if an air quality alert needs to be issued for smoke, the West Michigan Clean Air Coalition is in charge of spreading the word.
Haleigh Vaughn spoke with Andrea Faber from the West Michigan Clean Air Coalition about what changes they've seen since our first-ever Clean Air Action Day from wildfire smoke.
"This is a new pollutant for us. We started the program as the Ozone Action Program in 1995," said Faber. "We changed the program in 2009 to add in fine particulate matter. Ground level ozone and fine particulate matter are the two pollutants that we forecast. Up until this year, the only pollutant that we've had an issue with out of the two is ground level ozone.”
"Because of the wildfire smoke, we've had action days called due to fine particulate matter. The messages are similar, but different," said Faber. "We're dealing with a different pollutant. One of the major differences that I've seen ... is that there's also a cardiac component to it. So, you want to make sure people who have health issues that relate to their heart know about that as well, because there's more of a cardiac risk involved.”
The reason that this is the first year Clean Air Action Days are being issued for smoke is because of where the wildfires are occurring. Wildfires have been developing in northeastern Canada, near Quebec. Due to the proximity of the wildfires to West Michigan and our wind direction, we have had smoke closer to the surface.
As for when these smoky days will end, it all comes down to how long the fires are active. “As long as the fire season is going, we'll be on alert for smoke," said Kownacki. "Especially because this is this is a new age for the entire region.”
For more information regarding Clean Air Action Days due to elevated levels of ozone, click HERE. The more informed you can be about the air quality and the environment, the better! Stay tuned with the FOX 17 Weather Team for updates.
To learn more about clean air locally and what you can do as far as voluntary emission reduction activities, check out the West Michigan Clean Air Coalition (WMCAC). The WMCAC is a partnership of businesses, academic institutions, government agencies, industry, and nonprofit organizations in Kent, Ottawa, Muskegon, and Kalamazoo counties working together to achieve cleaner air in the region through education and promotion of voluntary emission reduction activities.
