Smoke from wildfires in Canada will hover over parts of the state Monday, with persistent smoke through the day, according to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.
The smoke is lingering over the southwest coastal region of the state, the department said Monday. Air quality remains moderately impacted throughout the rest of the state.
The amount of particle pollution is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, which includes people with heart or lung disease, the elderly, teenagers and children.
People in these groups should be careful about doing strenuous exercise outdoors, and may want to be alert for any asthma symptoms and keep medication on hand.
Irritation from wildfire smoke may cause coughing, shortness of breath, throat irritation, and/or mild chest pain.
Smoke is expected to move out by the end of the day, but forecasters are continuing to monitor conditions and will update the outlook by Monday afternoon.
Smoke is expected to come and go throughout the week.
The air quality in much of Maine has been negatively impacted by wildfire smoke for much of the past week due to both western and Canadian wildfires. The U.S. Forest Service’s Fire and Smoke map shows that some fires persist in eastern Minnesota, as well as Michigan and Wisconsin.
You can help maintain clean air within your house by closing windows and turning on the air conditioner, if you have one, setting it to circulate the indoor air. Use blankets to cover cracks that allow outside air into your home, such as under doors.
You can also swap the air conditioner’s filter for a MERV 13 filter, though you should make sure it’s installed correctly.
If you have an air purifier, even if it is for a single room, keep it running while air quality alerts remain in place.