GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) is warning that wildfires could become the "new normal" as the U.S. sees wildfire haze for a second summer in a row.
Last year, states in the Midwest were blanketed in wildfire smoke being blown from Canada. This caused air quality readings to be pushed into the unhealthy and even hazardous categories for many states, including Michigan.
Alec Kownacki, a meteorologist with EGLE, said they are preparing for another summer of smoke. Already, West Michigan has seen some hazy days from wildfire smoke.
"We're kind of putting all hands on deck in terms of preparing for another summer like last year, just because we'd rather be more prepared than not prepared," Kownacki said. "So we're kind of arming all of our two toolkits right now with all kinds of different tools that we can use at our disposal."
Kownacki said warmer, drier summers could be becoming more normal. He said when winters and springs see a lot of precipitation and summers dry out, it becomes the perfect environment for wildfires to start.
"That allows for more plant growth, grassland growth, and just dries right out," he said. "It causes more fuel for these fires to take up into their fires. So if this becomes more normal, we can expect more fires, obviously."
Kownacki said a phenomenon called "zombie fires" may be to blame for wildfires reigniting in Canada. Zombie fires are when fires continue smoldering for "months upon months"—even under snowpack—and start back up in the spring.
He said the wildfires currently seen in Canada could possibly be these zombie fires. If that's the case, wildfires could surge in similar locations as last summer.
In preparation for this season, EGLE is now implementing a two-tier system that includes both Air Quality Advisories and Air Quality Alerts.
The Air Quality Advisory is catered to those with asthma or other respiratory conditions that may make them more sensitive to smoky air. The Air Quality Alerts are for the entire population.
You can find the current air quality for your area on the EGLE website here.
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