Sat Aug 02 22:04:58 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article based on the provided text:

**Headline: Canadian Wildfire Smoke Blankets Midwest, Triggers Air Quality Alerts**

**Washington D.C.** – Smoke from widespread wildfires raging across Canada continues to drift south, triggering air quality alerts and posing health risks for millions in the United States. For the third consecutive day, a hazy pall has settled over much of the Midwest, prompting warnings for residents to take precautions against unhealthy air.

Air quality alerts are currently in effect across Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, eastern Nebraska, and parts of Indiana and Illinois. Minneapolis, Minnesota, has been particularly hard-hit, with air quality monitoring showing pollution levels among the worst in the world.

“We’ve sort of been dealing with this, day in and day out, where you walk outside and you can taste the smoke, you can smell it,” noted Joe Strus, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) is expected to remain in the “red” or unhealthy category across a large portion of Minnesota throughout Saturday, with forecasters predicting smoky conditions to persist across the Midwest before gradually dissipating. At its worst, the smoke was expected to extend as far south as Tennessee and Missouri.

Health officials warn that the poor air quality poses significant risks, especially for individuals with pre-existing lung or heart conditions, as well as children, the elderly, and pregnant women.

The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre reports that 717 fires are currently active across the country, with numerous blazes classified as “out-of-control” in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories.

Environment Canada has reported “extremely high” levels of air pollution in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and the Northwest Territories. Air quality advisories are also in place for parts of British Columbia, Alberta, and Quebec. Reduced visibility and poor air quality are expected to persist into Sunday.

This is not the first instance of Canadian wildfires impacting air quality internationally. In 2023, smoke from an unusually early and intense wildfire season drifted across the Atlantic into Northern Europe.

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