Wildfire smoke in Wisconsin; outdoor activities cancel, pivot
Wildfire smoke in Wisconsin cancels outdoor activities
Wildfire smoke forced outdoor summer camps at a Bayside nature center to relocate indoors. Health experts recommended staying inside or wearing an N95 mask to avoid tiny smoke particles.
BAYSIDE, Wis. - Wildfire smoke forced many outdoor activities to either cancel or pivot on Thursday, from pools and beer gardens to events and camps.
Outdoor camp moves indoors
Local perspective:
The Schlitz Audubon Nature Center has camps throughout the day with about 100 kids in the morning and 100 in the afternoon. Those camps are normally outside along the trails. Thursday's air quality forced everyone indoors.
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The nature center is located along the lakefront in Bayside. From the 60-foot lookout tower, it was nearly impossible to see Lake Michigan. The trails were open, but there were very few, if any, hikers on them. Those kids' camps brought nature inside to classrooms within the main building.
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Wildfire smoke in Wisconsin: Pictures, videos from FOX6 viewers
A thick blanket of smoke from wildfires in Canada and Minnesota has reached southeast Wisconsin, creating unhealthy air quality and hazy conditions.
"With this, we don’t play around. The decision was made very quickly early this morning that all camps would be indoors for the duration of the day. The health levels right now are considered to be dangerous or hazardous and so, that was a very easy decision for us," said Tom Finley of the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center.
Health effects of wildfire smoke
Why you should care:
This air quality is dangerous for anyone. The smoky air can irritate eyes, cause headaches and sore throats, and have a big impact on lungs. There is an even greater risk for children because their lungs have not fully developed.
"What we can’t see is the dangerous part, because these particles that are in the air right now are so incredibly tiny and those we are breathing in into our lungs. And they are so small they can even absorb into our blood and be circulated through the body," said Carissa Hoium of the Children’s Health Alliance of Wisconsin.
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Health officials recommend staying inside if possible. For those who do have to go out, it is recommended to wear an N95 mask.
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Ashley Sears and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from Tom Finley, Carissa Hoium, the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center and the Children's Health Alliance of Wisconsin.