Wildfire smoke brings air quality alert for NW Minnesota

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Wednesday put much of northwestern and north-central Minnesota under an air quality alert through Thursday morning as a smoke plume makes its way southeast out of western Canada.

The agency noted that visibility in southern Manitoba has decreased to four miles due to smoke, "indicating an increase in fine particle concentrations" to levels considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, including children, older adults, people with respiratory problems and those working outside.

Affected areas in Minnesota include Roseau, International Falls, East Grand Forks, Bemidji and Moorhead and the tribal nations of Red Lake and Leech Lake.

The smoke is expected to decrease across the alert area late Thursday morning.