Canadian wildfires bring hazy conditions to South Dakota

Air quality posing health risks, prompting cancellation of events

Canadian wildfires have brought a haze into downtown Sioux Falls. (Joe Sneve / The Dakota Scout)

Wildfires burning in Canada are creating visibility issues across much of South Dakota and the rest of the northern plains. 

Currently, about 15 to 20 large wildfires are burning across the our neighbors to the north, in the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia. 

Wildfire season starts in May in that region. An early and dry spring, paired with limited snowfall this past winter has led to more than a million acres of uncontrollable fire across western parts of the country. 

“There are a lot of active fires up there in Canada,” said Scott Doering, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service (NWS) in Aberdeen. “It is easier for them to go out of control in that region because there are not a lot of population centers in those spots.”

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