SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (WXYZ) — Wildfire smoke from Canada and Minnesota continues to roll into Michigan, pushing air quality to dangerous levels. Health officials say the state has never seen before.
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Aaron Ferguson, an expert with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, said the current event stands apart from previous smoke episodes.
"In 2023 and 2025, we had statewide air quality alerts then, but right now we have a statewide air quality alert at the hazardous level, which we've never seen in Michigan before," Ferguson said.
Residents are noticing the difference.
"I'm like, geez, who's lighting a campfire out here?" Alyssa Koukis said.
"In previous years, I don't recall it being as bad as it is today. It's very difficult to breathe. I keep forgetting my mask," Cassandra Jerido said.
Ferguson said the smoke contains fine particles that can cause serious health problems. The goal, he said, is to limit how much smoke makes it into your lungs — and that starts at home.
"Running that air conditioning, if you can put in a MERV 13 or better air filter into your HVAC system," Ferguson said.
For those without central air conditioning, Ferguson said window units can still help, as long as everything is properly sealed and set to recirculate. He also outlined a list of things people should avoid doing indoors during the event.
"We also recommend that there's certain things people do not do if they're staying inside, which would be, of course, no smoking inside, don't burn candles, don't use gas stoves to cook, don't spray or use aerosols, and don't vacuum," Ferguson said.
Cleaner air matters in your car, too. Ryan Seidler, service director at Tamaroff Honda, said a single button can help keep smoke out of the cabin.
"This guy right here is your recirculate button, it's lit up yellow, so it's turned on, which means it's using the air in the cabin and recycling it instead of bringing in fresh air," Seidler said.
Seidler also recommended getting cabin air filters checked regularly.
"Weather like this is definitely going to impact the lifespan of those filters," Seidler said.
Air quality on Friday is expected to be similar across Michigan, but experts say conditions should improve this weekend.
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