CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency's air quality alert continued Sunday for the entire state.
The alert was set to remain in effect through Sunday night as smoke from Canadian wildfires again moved toward Illinois.
In Evanston, officials closed all public swimming beaches and said lifeguards will not be on duty.
The smoke began sweeping through Illinois from the northwest Saturday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
Those who are sensitive to poor air quality or have a chronic respiratory issues should limit outdoor activity, the weather service said.
Officials said wearing N-95 or KN-95 masks can help filter out the dangerous pollutants in the air.
Unlike the wildfire smoke that descended upon Chicagoland over the end of June — which came from fires in eastern Canada — officials said the smoke that's covered the area this past weekend is coming from fires in western Canada.
The smoke from the wildfires made the air quality in Chicago “very unhealthy” June 27-28. On June 27, Chicago had the worst air quality among big cities in the world.
(The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.)
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