(WIFR) – The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency issued a Red Forecast Air Pollution Action Day for Thursday, July 31, for the Rockford region and other areas of northern Illinois. An Air Pollution Action Day is also in effect statewide through Friday, August 1.
The unhealthy air quality alert is due to Canadian wildfire smoke lingering over the region. Air quality alerts are also in place for Wisconsin and other states across the Midwest.
What is an Air Pollution Action Day?
AirNow, which monitors air quality data, says action days are declared when the Air Quality Index gets into the unhealthy ranges. The AQI is a color-coded system that classifies air quality from Good (Green) to Hazardous (Maroon). In Illinois, the EPA says it declares a Red Air Pollution Action Day when air quality is forecasted to be at or above the red or “unhealthy” category on the AQI for any sector in Illinois.
If the forecast is red, there may still be times during the day when air quality is OK for outdoor activities. You can check the current air quality in your area on the AirNow website.
What do I need to do?
Children, older adults and those with pulmonary or respiratory diseases like asthma are reminded to avoid prolonged activities or heavy exertion outdoors.
For everyone else, air quality experts recommend:
- Choosing less strenuous activities (like walking instead of running) so you don’t breathe as hard
- Shortening the amount of time you are active outdoors
- Moving physical activities indoors or rescheduling them
- Being active outdoors when air quality is better
More information can be found on the AirNow and Illinois EPA websites. For active weather alerts, visit WIFR.com or download the WIFR First Alert Weather app.
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