(WWJ) - Metro Detroiters are being greeted this Fourth of July holiday weekend with a weather alert.
Canadian wildfire smoke and elevated levels of fine particulate due to fireworks displays have forced the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy to declare an Air Quality Advisory.
The alert — which was originally issued just for July 4 — has now been extended to July 5. It covers Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, Monroe, Livingston, and St. Clair counties.
This comes as millions of people across Metro Detroit are expected to spend the day outside grilling, swimming, and celebrating the holiday.
It is recommended that, when possible, you avoid strenuous outdoor activities, especially those with heart disease and respiratory diseases like asthma. Monitor for symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, dizziness, or burning in nose, throat, and eyes. Reduce or eliminate activities that contribute to air pollution, such as: outdoor burning, use of residential wood burning devices.
Tips for households: Keep windows closed overnight to prevent smoke from getting indoors and, if possible, run central air conditioning with MERV-13 or higher rated filters.
For further information, please see EPAs Air Now site for up-to-date air quality data: https://www.airnow.gov/
For further health information, please see MDHHS Wildfire Smoke and Your Health site: https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/safety-injury-rev/environmental-health/your-health-and-wildfire-smoke