Threateningly spreading to the US Midwestern states of tobacco from forest fires raging in Canada with the risk of pollution being high.
The situation awakening memories of severe pollution expanded south of Canada two years ago, during the worst in the fire times that this country lived.
The pollution by the floating particles caused by tobacco is already moving to Minnesota and the neighboring states. It is expected to arrive in New York and other east coast cities in the following days, putting tens of millions of people living in these areas at a health risk.
«Airborne suspended particles are the most serious environmentala health risk we know, “said Doug Bruz, a public health researcher at the University of Conteccat Medical School. “It causes cardiovascular, respiratory and neurological damage and these smoke clouds are at very high levels compared to what we usually expose to the US.”
Forest fires have been scanning Canada since early May, forcing thousands of people to leave their homes and disturbing crude oil production in the country. Until yesterday (02.06.2025), there were more than 200 active estee106 of them burned uncontrollably, according to the Canadian Center for Forest Fire.
19 million acres have been burned
So far, 19 million acres have been turned into ash, Mostly in Alberta provinces, Saskatsan and Manitoba.
One of the worst points in the US in terms of air quality this morning, due to the fires, was Eli, in Minnesota, near the border with Manitoba. Recorded ‘dangerous’ air quality limits (336 in the relevant index), According to IQAIR, a site that monitors the air quality worldwide.
An air quality measurement of below 50 is considered “good” and the measurements between 100-300 are “unhealthy” to “very unhealthy”, while the highest are considered “dangerous”, according to the site.
In Dulkou, Minnesota, the measurement was at 309 early noon (03.06.2025) while in the Flynnian Flend of Manitoba, about 1,300 km north and one of the points where the fires rage, the index stood at 359.
Children, the elderly and people with chronic cardiovascular disease, pulmonary and other diseases are the most vulnerable to the effects of tobacco, According to the researcher.
“The risk of hospitalization and death is low in people who are healthy and young,” he said.