Canadian wildfire smoke will be making Maine’s air unhealthy for the next couple days.
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection warns that ground-level particle pollution will be higher Wednesday through at least Thursday.
That smoke began moving into Maine on Tuesday, and current weather patterns are unlikely to push it out until sometime Thursday.
“It can be challenging to predict smoke levels more than a day in advance. There are currently signs that it will persist past Thursday,” the Department of Environmental Protection said Wednesday morning.
Children, older adults and Mainers with lung or heart disease should avoid strenuous outdoor activity and keep their windows closed.
The particle pollution may cause coughing, shortness of breath, throat irritation or mild chest pain.
Adults who exert themselves outdoors also may notice such symptoms.
The impact will be felt most heavily over northern Maine, while the impact on air quality will be more moderate closer to the coast.
As of last week, there were hundreds of wildfires burning across Canada, according to the Canadian government.
