Chicago, Illinois – Wildfire smoke from Canada is sending air quality plummeting across northern and central Illinois today, with conditions deemed “unhealthy for sensitive groups” through midnight Friday.
According to the National Weather Service and AirNow.gov, cities including Joliet (AQI 128), Aurora (124), Peoria (118), and Chicago (117) are experiencing elevated PM2.5 levels — a result of lingering wildfire smoke drifting south from Canada. An air quality alert is in effect across much of Illinois and parts of northwest Indiana, including Lake County and Hammond-Gary (AQI 113 and 110, respectively).
Residents — especially children, the elderly, and people with respiratory conditions — are urged to limit prolonged outdoor activity. The Illinois EPA recommends postponing strenuous exercise and reducing time spent outside. Those in sensitive groups should stay indoors when possible and use air purifiers or filtered HVAC systems.
The smoke event is expected to ease by Saturday, with AQI levels forecast to drop into the “moderate” range across the region. Until then, health officials advise staying alert for any worsening symptoms and checking local air quality at airnow.gov.
