Smoke from Canadian wildfires is causing poor air quality in eastern Iowa and western Illinois, prompting alerts and recommendations to limit outdoor activities.
In the Quad-Cities, buildings on the opposite riverfronts were shrouded in a smoky haze Tuesday morning. Visibility was cut to between 1 and 2 miles, according to the Quad-Cities National Weather Service.
Haze from Canadian wildfires covers the view from the riverside along the Mississippi, Tuesday, June 27, 2023, in Davenport.
The Air Quality Index rated air quality “unhealthy” Tuesday in the region, and the National Weather Service issued an air quality alert until midnight Thursday morning.
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It recommended people, especially those with heart or lung diseases, older adults, children and teens, take extra precautions, including limiting time being active outdoors and avoiding strenuous outdoor activities.
Air quality forecasts and reports can be monitored at airnow.gov.
The smoke in the Quad-Cities is originating from wildfires concentrated in Ontario, National Weather Service meteorologist Tim Gross said.
Haze from smoke from wildfires in Canada blankets the Mississippi, Tuesday, June 27, 2023, in Davenport.
It’s unusual to see visibility restrictions because of wildfires in the region, Gross said. It’s more unusual to see hazy skies from wildfires this early in the year, he said; the Canadian wildfire season usually peaks in July or August.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency issued the alert, and the National Weather Service amplified it, prompted by “the unique widespread nature of this episode.”
Looking ahead to this summer, Gross said there’s a good chance the region could see hazier skies and more instances of poor air quality conditions in the next few months.
Visibility in Davenport along River Drive is limited by smoke from fires in Canada, Tuesday, June 27, 2023.
Painting on the murals on Iowa Street and at Sergeant Peppers Auto Shop begins
Marisa Lopez fills in a lightbulb sketch with yellow paint at the intersection of Iowa and 3rd streets Tuesday, June 20, 2023, in Davenport. The railroad-embankment mural is titled "Hello Quad Cities" and is inspired by the Bill Wundram Parkway sign.
A clock design is part of the "Hello Quad Cities" mural on a wall at the intersection of Iowa Street and 3rd Street. This design element came from the William Wundram Parkway sign that hangs at the bottom of the railway on Iowa Street.
An artist with the Quad City Arts youth program covers up the design sketch lines on a railroad-embankment mural at the intersection of Iowa and 3rd streets. The projected finish date for the circus mural is July 7, 2023.
Workers of the project measure out the proportions of their original sketch to enlarge it on a wall at the intersection of Iowa Street and 3rd Street on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, in Davenport. The mural projects is a part of the Quad City Arts Metro Arts Youth Program where the participants work on these projects all summer.
The sketching for the second mural continues on a wall of Sergeant Peppers Auto Shop on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, in Davenport. This mural is drew inspiration from Historic Davenport and features many objects made between Davenport's establishment in 1836 and today.
Carlin Peterson paints a portion of the railroad-embankment mural. The Quad City Arts Metro Arts youth program began work on the mural at the beginning of June.
