Minnesota air quality plunges as smoke plume from Canada fires descends – ‘The smoke we’re smelling used to be trees in western Canada a few days ago’

By Paul Huttner
6 July 2015 (Minnesota Public Radio) – What next, locusts? Monday morning’s downpours (and flash floods in the east metro) got our attention early. Just when you thought it was safe, the core of the dense smoke plume from over 600 wildfires in Alaska and western Canada arrived. The dense white smoke plume is clearly visible at ground level across much of Minnesota. It’s the same general smoke plume that has been blanketing Minnesota at varying intensity since this image was captured by NASA satellites in late June. A pasty white-tinted sky lingers over The Land of Sky Blue Waters. The smoke we’re smelling used to be trees in western Canada a few days ago. [more]

Fire and rain: Dense smoke plume follows downpours