Local air quality affected by smoke and fires this week

The Allegan County Health Department (ACHD) is sharing a press release from Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) because areas in Allegan County are experiencing some hours when the Air Quality Index reaches very unhealthy levels.
County health officials said in a Facebook posting, “Please consider sharing this information with family, friends, and other local social circles.”
ACHD will continue to monitor the situation and share messaging on our Facebook page – @AlleganCountyHD
Meteorologists at the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) have issued air quality alerts for high levels of fine particulate in the air. These levels are caused by smoke from fires in Canada. Meteorologists are continuing to assess conditions and will issue additional alerts if necessary.
The average air quality is expected to fluctuate between unhealthy for sensitive groups to unhealthy for everyone with the possibility of the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula experiencing some hours when concentration cause the Air Quality Index to be very unhealthy or hazardous for everyone.
How to sign up for alerts: You can sign up for alerts through the EnviroFlash system. This subscriber system allows you to choose the area you would like to get alerts for. The system will send the alert directly to your email or send you a text message.
The Air Quality Index:The Air Quality Index, or AQI is a color-coded way for residents to see what the levels of some types of air pollution are in their area. The higher the AQI, the worse the air quality is and the more cause for concern.
The AQI for particulate matter (PM) is high in many parts of Michigan and the eastern US due to smoke and fires in the US and particularly in parts of Canada. The AQI is also used for levels of other pollutants, like ozone.

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