Canadian wildfires reducing air quality in Wisconsin

MADISON— Smoke from Canadian wildfires has reduced Wisconsin's air quality.

The state Department of Natural Resources says a cold front has pushed the smoke closer to the ground, creating an unhealthy air quality level for children, seniors, those with respiratory or cardiac problems and people who are engaged in strenuous outdoor activities for a prolonged period.

The unhealthy levels were first noted at monitoring sites in northern and west-central Wisconsin and are expected to move southeastward later Tuesday.

The smoke is from dozens of fires burning in Saskatchewan, fed by drought and high temperatures. Because of the size of the fires, large amounts of smoke travel high into the atmosphere, where the upper layers have strong winds that can carry the smoke great distances.