A statewide Air Quality Alert is currently in effect due to smoke from ongoing Canadian wildfires. Smoke and heavy haze may reduce visibility and can cause unhealthy breathing conditions.

N95 masks are available for community pickup at the Beaver Island Rural Health Center.

Everyone should reduce exposure when air quality is poor, particularly:

• Children and older adults
• Pregnant individuals
• People with asthma, COPD, heart disease, or other respiratory conditions
• Anyone working, exercising, or spending extended periods outdoors

To help protect yourself:

• Limit strenuous exercise and unnecessary time outdoors.
• Keep windows and doors closed when possible.
• Use air conditioning or an air purifier and set vehicle ventilation systems to recirculate.
• Avoid activities that create additional indoor air pollution, including smoking, burning candles, and using wood-burning appliances.
• Keep prescribed inhalers and other respiratory medications readily available.
• Check current local air-quality conditions before planning outdoor activities.
• If you must be outdoors, wear a properly fitted, NIOSH-approved N95 respirator. Cloth and standard surgical masks do not provide adequate protection from wildfire smoke.

Watch for symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, dizziness, headache, or burning and irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat. Seek immediate medical attention for severe difficulty breathing, significant chest pain, confusion, fainting, or rapidly worsening symptoms.

Please check on older neighbors, individuals living alone, and anyone with chronic heart or lung conditions. Continue monitoring local air-quality reports, as conditions may change quickly.