Wisconsin Smokin'

It's incredible that a fire so far away would have such a dramatic impact on our air quality.

The smoke from a Minnesota wildfire shrouded what should have been a blue sky in Wisconsin.



From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

A huge forest fire in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Minnesota has sent ash and smoke across vast sections of Wisconsin, including metro Milwaukee, where air quality spiked to unhealthy levels for many people on Tuesday.

The conditions prompted the state Department of Natural Resources to issue an air quality advisory from 6 p.m. Tuesday until 11 a.m. Wednesday for Milwaukee, Waukesha, Racine, Kenosha and Dodge counties, all of which are in the path of prevailing winds from the northern Minnesota fire.

The advisory is designated orange, which means that air quality is unhealthy for people in sensitive health groups, such as those with lung and heart ailments.

A strong smoky smell permeated the metro area, and a hazy smog-like sky made the area look more like southern California than southeastern Wisconsin on a bright, late summer day.

The Fond du Lac School District canceled all outdoor activities on Tuesday. And the Milwaukee Brewers decided to close the roof of Miller Park for Tuesday night's game against the Colorado Rockies - although cooler weather played a role in addition to the haze, said Tyler Barnes, vice president of communication for the club.

The National Weather Service said that until the fire is contained, periods of smoke and reduced visibility could be experienced across the state. Mark Gehring, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sullivan, said the smoke should clear by midmorning Wednesday.

The forest fires produce a form of air pollution known as particle pollution. Of particular concern: a type of particle pollution known as PM 2.5 that is 1/30th of the size of human hair, which can become lodged deep in the lung and exacerbate health problems.

State and local health officials cautioned that people with heart and lung problems, people older than 65 and children younger than 6 should remain indoors and curtail heavy physical activity.

The same is true for healthy people - especially if they are exercising - if they are experiencing symptoms from the smoke, such as a burning sensation in their lungs or eye irritation.

The fire was started by a lightning strike.

So lightning created all this pollution and the ensuing misery. The forces of nature are our enemy.

The federal government needs to step in and do something.

Can Obama issue an executive order banning lightning so this doesn't happen again?

Maybe we can tax it so lightning will be less likely to strike.

At the very least, I think Obama should appoint a smoke czar.