WILDFIRES

Air Quality Concerns Locally As Wildfires Burn Out of Control in Parts of Canada

ALBERTA, CANADA (KVRR/FOX) — Firefighters in Alberta, Canada are dealing with out-of-control fires as a result of abnormally hot and dry weather. The wildfires have been going on for weeks and more than 10,000 people have been forced to leave their homes. There’s extensive property damage to both homes and businesses in the region. There is also a growing concern…

Smoke from Canada wildfires could aggravate health issues,

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — As wildfires in northwestern Canada send smoke across our region, the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality is advising those, especially with respiratory conditions, to limit prolonged outdoor activities. The National Weather Service in Grand Forks says a cold front will drive wildfire smoke to the ground by Thursday as winds shift to the north and…

Air quality alert issued for Tuesday

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KVRR/KFGO) — Smoke from wildfires in Alberta and Saskatchewan will likely affect air quality in northern Minnesota and eastern North Dakota on Tuesday. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has issued an air quality alert. The air quality index is expected to reach the orange or “unhealthy for sensitive groups” category. People with lung disease, including asthma, children…

Hundreds of Colorado residents lose their homes in ferocious wildfire

No deaths or missing people were reported immediately.

(CNN)A vicious wildfire that began Thursday morning in Boulder County, Colorado, swallowed about 1,600 acres in a matter of hours, burning hundreds of homes and prompting orders for some 30,000 people across two communities to evacuate. Amid historically powerful winds and drought-parched land, some 370 homes were destroyed in a single subdivision just west of the town of Superior, while another 210 homes…

North Dakotans advised to avoid prolonged outdoor activity, take protective measures,

Canada wildfireBISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR) – The North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality is advising residents to take precautions due to unhealthy levels of smoke caused by wildfires in Canada. Officials say to “use common sense and avoid prolonged exposure outdoors.”  Children, the elderly, people with heart or lung disease are particularly susceptible to ash particles and should take extra precautions. Elevated…

Expanded Closures at Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Due To Wildfires

ELY, Minn. — Superior National Forest officials are expanding their closure order for the popular Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness north of Ely, Minnesota because of the threat of wildfires burning across the Canadian border. The newly expanded order, which took effect Sunday, includes 12 more BWCA entry points in addition to the areas around Crooked and Iron lakes that…

New restrictions in BWCA due to Canadian wildfires

Delta Lake Fire near Ely ELY, Minn. – The Forest Service has announced new temporary travel restrictions in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area over concerns that large wildfires burning in Canada could spread across the border. The new closures include travel, campsites and portages along and near Iron and Crooked lakes along the border north of Ely, as well as…

Minnesota bracing for extended drought, wildfire conditions

MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota authorities are bracing for an extended wildfire season, saying the typical summer reprieve is looking more and more unlikely. Wildfires are typically at their worst in the spring and fall, slowing down in the summer when trees and plants are fully green and rain increases. But more than half of the state is experiencing drought conditions and…

Drought leads to skyrocketing wildfires in North Dakota

MINOT, N.D. – In drought-stricken North Dakota, wildfires have burned about 156 square miles of land across the state so far this year, more than seven times the amount from all of last year. The North Dakota Department of Emergency Services and North Dakota Forest Service say that nearly 1,400 fires have been confirmed in 2021. There were a total…