Detroit's air quality is the worst in the world Friday; air quality alert extended to Saturday
Detroit's city leaders urged area residents to wear protective face masks when outside and to cancel plans involving the outdoors during a news conference held Friday morning at the Detroit Public Safety Headquarters.
In a discussion of safety tips that Police Chief Todd Bettison said were reminiscent of the COVID-19 response in 2020, Mayor Mary Sheffield and other leaders explained that non-essential employees have been asked to work remotely, while those whose duties require being in the environment are asked to wear face masks when outside.
"This is pretty unprecedented. We shattered records yesterday," Ali Abazeed, the city's chief public health officer, said.
Detroit had the worst air quality in the world on Thursday morning, and again hit that mark on Friday morning, as wildfire smoke from Canada and Minnesota continues to drift over the region.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy says an air quality alert will remain in effect for all of Michigan into Saturday, continuing an alert status that began on Wednesday. Air quality conditions will range on Friday from very unhealthy to southern areas of the state to hazardous in the north, EGLE said, then diminish to slightly unhealthy for sensitive groups in the south to very unhealthy in the north.
The smoke plume from hundreds of wildfires in Canada and Minnesota began crossing into Northern Michigan during the day on Wednesday. First responders and dispatchers reported getting a spike in 911 phone calls from concerned residents over the conditions. By midnight Wednesday, the MiAir database showed significantly deteriorating air quality in Southeast Michigan.
Metro Detroit had the worst air quality in the world early Thursday, resulting in numerous disruptions to community events and programs, including outdoor concerns. The Friday morning reports from IQAir showed an Air Quality Index for Detroit at 428, ahead of Chicago, which has also been in the path of the wildfire smoke plumes. AQI readings of over 300 are considered hazardous.
Dr. Robert Dunne, chief medical officer for the City of Detroit, said first responders have seen an increase of respiratory calls to EMS since the air quality deteriorated.
Here's what to know for Friday:
What is the City of Detroit doing?
City officials used the Detroit 365 system and wireless emergency alerts to reach not just area residents but those who might be visiting in the city, to let them know about the hazardous conditions.
When will the smoke clear out?
Waves of plumes are still expected to come through Southeast Michigan into Friday, and there won't be a noticeable improvement in conditions until Friday night.
A warm front pushing through Friday night into Saturday will help push the smoke out of the region. But that change in the weather also brings a potential for severe thunderstorms.
After the storms come through, skies will clear with noticeably lower humidity, with a pleasant and milder end to the weekend on Sunday.
The CBS News Detroit weather team has declared Friday and Saturday to be NEXT Weather Alert Days, stepping up forecasts and announcements as needed.
Closings and cancellations
Summer school, day camp and splash pad schedules are among those canceled or rescheduled again on Friday because of the air quality.
Those announcements from City of Detroit include all summer programs that are outside will be canceled both Friday and Saturday, Sheffield said.
Detroit council president James E. Tate Jr. urged those who are organizing or planning events that might involve having people outside to consider alternatives; adding that an event he was helping to organize for the coming days has been canceled.
Burn bans
At least three Southeast Michigan communities – Ida Township, Monroe Township and Dundee Township in Monroe County – are suspending permits for outside burning, such as yard waste or campfires.
Face mask distributions
EGLE recommends that those who go outside for even short periods of time should wear an N95 or P100 respirator face mask marked with "NIOSH" to help prevent breathing in the pollution.
The Detroit Health Department, Grosse Pointe Woods Department of Public Safety, the City of Sterling Heights, the Wayne Police Department and other local agencies have been distributing face masks to area residents to help limit pollution that is breathed in and follow recommendations from environmental and health officials.
"We don't want to put the mask on, but we absolutely have to," Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison said. "The threat is real."
