The view from Cincinnati Cam at Incline Public House on July 17 at 10:47 a.m. Levels of both ozone and tiny particles in the air is in the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” range, according to the Southwest Ohio Air Quality Agency. Photo: Cincinnati Cam

It’s been the summer of the Canadian wildfire haze, and the thick fog has once again reached dangerous levels in the Cincinnati area.

Over the weekend, the Southwest Ohio Air Quality Agency issued another Air Quality Alert for July 16 and 17. The impacted range includes Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Hamilton and Warren counties in Ohio; Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties in Kentucky; and Dearborn County in Indiana.

Like the last Air Quality Alert from the agency in June, this one targets people who fall in the “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” category, including children, adults with respiratory illnesses and older adults. Still, the public at-large is recommended to limit outdoor time during the alert.

The cause of the hazy, dangerous air comes from Canadian wildfires that have blown ozone and tiny particles, known as PM2.5, across much of the upper midwest. While the agency’s air quality alert is set to expire at midnight, hazy days such as these are expected to continue throughout the summer and into the fall.

Crews started battling rampant wildfires across Canada in early May, an early start to the typical wildfire season. As of July 17, the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) said it’s battling 881 active wildfires across the country, of which 578 are considered “out of control.” Those numbers are nearly double what they were in late June.

How to help

To stop the air quality from worsening, the agency has issued a list of things to do (and not do) during an air quality alert:

  • Take the bus, carpool, bike or walk instead of driving
  • Refuel your vehicle after 6 p.m., do not top off when refueling and tighten the gas cap
  • Do not idle your vehicle
  • Combine trips or eliminate unnecessary vehicle trips
  • Keep your vehicle maintained with properly-inflated tires and timely oil changes
  • Avoid use of gasoline-powered lawn equipment
  • Avoid use of oil-based paints and stains
  • Never burn leaves or other yard trimmings
  • Always burn clean, seasoned wood in outdoor fire pits, fireplaces and wood stoves and avoid using fire pits or fireplaces for non-essential home heating
  • Conserve electricity

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This article appears in Jul 12-25, 2023.