Americans Told To Stay Indoors in 6 States

Air quality alerts have been issued across six states on Friday, as smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to impact parts of the U.S.

Why It Matters

Health authorities warn that worsening air quality presents a health hazard, especially for vulnerable populations such as children, seniors, and individuals with existing medical conditions.

At least two people have died and tens of thousands have been evacuated in Canada as a result of the blazes, according to reports.

A wildfire burns in Lewiston, Idaho, last week.
A wildfire burns in Lewiston, Idaho, last week.
August Frank/Lewiston Tribune/AP

What To Know

The National Weather Service (NWS) published alerts for parts of Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan and Nebraska.

The alerts warned that elevated levels of particulate pollution were anticipated due to smoke from the blazes.

They also advised residents in affected areas, particularly those in sensitive groups, to avoid prolonged or strenuous outdoor activities.

Some advisories suggested keeping windows and doors shut to prevent smoke from getting indoors, while others suggested that members of the public could take actions to reduce air pollution, such as walking or biking, carpooling, using public transport and avoiding using drive-through lanes.

Over 33,000 people had been told to evacuate as of Wednesday across three Canadian provinces due to the wildfires, according to CBS News.

States of emergency had already been declared in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew described efforts in his province as “the largest wildfire evacuation in recent memory.”

What People Are Saying

The National Weather Service said on X on Friday: “Poor air quality can be hazardous to anyone. Before spending time outdoors, check the air quality forecast to ensure that you aren’t doing yourself more harm than good.”

Professor of pediatric respiratory and environmental medicine Jonathan Grigg, with Queen Mary University of London, previously told Newsweek: “There are vulnerable groups, and classically they are children, because they’ve got an extra issue to do with their lungs developing, whereas our lungs are not developing as adults.

“Their trajectory can be deviated so they don’t actually achieve their maximum lung function.”

There are also “very clear links” between inhaling particles and earlier death from both respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, Grigg said.

Grigg added that conditions such as asthma are also exacerbated by exposure to air pollution.

NWS Duluth, Minnesota, said on X on Thursday: “Smoke from Canadian Wildfires will spread into northeast Minnesota and across western Lake Superior tonight and remain into Friday. An Air Quality Alert is in effect for portions of northeast Minnesota through 7 pm Friday.

What Happens Next

Some of the alerts were set to expire at noon, while others were in effect until midnight Friday night.

The NWS issues regular forecast updates on its website.

Update 06/06/2025, 5:00 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.