By Vivian La, Jenna Smith and Deanese Williams-Harris, Chicago Tribune
Thick smoke from Canadian wildfires coated Chicago and the surrounding areas with haze as weather officials issued an air quality alert for parts of the Great Lakes, Lower Mississippi and Ohio valleys Tuesday morning.
According to the monitoring site IQAir, Chicago had the worst air quality out of 95 cities worldwide Tuesday.
As of 11 a.m., the air quality index had risen to a level considered “very unhealthy,” according to AirNow, a website that combines data from county, state and federal air quality agencies nationwide. This means everyone is at risk of experiencing health effects.
Lake breezes would bring more smoke Tuesday afternoon, creating hazy conditions, said Zachary Yack, meteorologist with the National Weather Service. The smoke was expected to linger until Wednesday morning, but visibility could improve by late Tuesday, he said.
Faye Crouteau of Uptown said the air smelled like burning tires when she was walking by the lake Tuesday morning. Afterward, she was sitting outside wearing a mask because she couldn’t be inside her condo while it was being inspected.
She said her wife struggles with asthma and long COVID-19. When her wife woke up this morning, the first thing she said was, “I’m having a really hard time today.”
Crouteau said she was aware of how bad air quality was in New York City in early June but wasn’t particularly concerned about Chicago.
“We’re usually saved by the lake,” Crouteau said. “But that’s obviously not the case today.”
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office issued a statement saying the city of Chicago is carefully monitoring the situation.
“This summer, cities across North America have seen unhealthy levels of air quality as a result of wildfire smoke, impacting over 20 million people from New York City, Washington D.C., Montreal, and today here in Chicago,” the statement said. “As we work to respond to the immediate health concerns in our communities, this concerning episode demonstrates and underscores the harmful impact that the climate crisis is having on our residents, as well as people all over the world.”
Chicago Public Schools issued a statement saying it would use inclement weather plans for its summer programs and hold activities indoors Tuesday to reduce the risk to students and staff.
While other regions are dealing with excessive heat, Chicago temperatures are expected to hit the low 70s. While the current air conditions are unhealthy for everyone, the risks are increased for children and adults with respiratory and pulmonary conditions, officials said.
The Chicago Cubs had a scheduled home game at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday against the Philadelphia Phillies. Only the commissioners office and players union can decide to postpone a game because of air quality issues, as they did last month in New York and Philadelphia.
Health officials said Chicagoans should take these precautions:
Anyone who needs immediate medical attention should dial 911.