Minnesota Wildfire Smoke Spreads Over Wisconsin

Smoke from a wildfire in northern Minnesota is dispersing throughout eastern Wisconsin creating extremely hazy conditions and leaving a thick, smoky smell in the air.

Lightning strikes started the blaze in the arrowhead of Minnesota back around August 18th. The National Weather Service says by Sunday, September 11th, the fire had grown to around 4,500 acres. As of Tuesday afternoon, it encompassed 60,000 acres.

A massive smoke plume developed as a result of the wildfire on September 11th. That plume of smoke has now dispersed into the eastern half of Wisconsin. It's turned the sky milky white and created a rather strong, smoky odor.

The National Weather Service received numerous reports from trained spotters throughout southeast Wisconsin. One in Hartford indicated visibility was only 3/4 of a mile and dark cars had a white coating on them. One spotter in Whitewater said he could "taste" the smoke in the air and his eyes were burning. In Waukesha and Racine, spotters indicated they were having difficulty with their asthma because of the poor air quality; one went to a hospital for treatment.  The smoke is now reaching as far south as Kenosha and will be crossing over into Illinois.

The DNR and State Department of Health Services (DHS) has been receiving calls regarding the heavy smoke odor, ash and concerns about smoke inhalation. The DHS says in healthy people, symptoms of smoke exposure usually include irritation of eyes, nose and throat. It may also include some breathing discomfort.

People who have asthma, COPD or some other respiratory ailment are urged to remain indoors with doors and windows closed. Officials suggest using a high-efficiency air (HEPA) filter on air conditioners to reduce the amount of pollution in the air.