The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy has issued a statewide air quality alert for Wednesday.
According to the alert, shifting winds are set to bring smoke from wildfires in Canada and Minnesota into the Great Lakes region. The smoke has high levels of fine particulate matter, which can cause health issues if inhaled at high rates.
“Winds will shift and smoke will start pushing south," the alert read. "The Upper Peninsula will be impacted first, starting around midnight and pushing south in the northern Lower Peninsula overnight.”
Kyle Klein, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Detroit, said a mild cold front will cause built-up wildfire smoke to push southward into the United States.
“There's a front that’s sitting north of Lake Superior and that front will eventually start sagging down into the central Great Lakes,” Klein said. “The wind with it will draw the smoke that has kind of been confined up across the northern Great Lakes down into our part of the state.”
EGLE said the smoke could reach the Michigan-Indiana border late in the day on Wednesday.
Klein said children, seniors, and anyone with pre-existing conditions should be extra cautious.
“Those who are within sensitive groups, like those who have respiratory issues and whatnot, are more vulnerable than the general populace when it comes to air quality concerns,” Klein said. “The main thing is just limiting outdoor — especially strenuous —outdoor activity.”
Households are advised to avoid outdoor burning and the use of residential wood burning devices, keep windows closed overnight and run central air conditioning with MERV-13 or higher rated filters if possible.
According to EGLE, Michigan has seen unprecedented levels of wildfire smoke in recent years. Climate change is speeding up wildfire activity, particularly in northern forests like those in Ontario.
However, EGLE said wildfire smoke has been far lower in the state this year.
“In terms of wildfire smoke, we have been fortunate so far in 2026,” the alert read. “Unfortunately, our luck has run out as the fires north of the Minnesota arrowhead have rapidly expanded, overnight, and satellite imagery shows large areas of smoke headed our way.”
Michigan residents can check current air conditions in their region online through EGLE's MiAir Quality Index.
