Canadian wildfire smoke pushes Chicago-area air quality to unhealthy levels

Smoke from wildfires in Canada pushed the air quality in the Chicago area to unhealthy levels on Tuesday.

A huge swath of the Midwest — including parts of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin — was coated in smoke, as more than 450 fires continue burning in Canada.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the air quality index in Chicago had reached “very unhealthy” levels, with residents recommended to avoid strenuous outdoor activities, keep outdoor activities short and consider moving physical activities indoors or rescheduling them.

Chicago had the worst air quality of any major city in the world on Tuesday, followed by Minneapolis, Dubai, Detroit and Delhi, according to Swiss air quality tracker IQAir.

Smoke from Canadian wildfires blanketed much of the eastern seaboard earlier this month, turning the skies in New York City an eerie orange color and pushing air quality levels in some areas into the “hazardous” category.