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Wildfire smoke drifted across Southeast Michigan Wednesday night and a smoky, hazy sky resulting from fine particulate pollution was clearly visible by daybreak on Thursday.
All of Michigan is under an air quality alert through Friday.
The air was so bad early Thursday in Southeast Michigan that Detroit was listed as having the worst air quality in the world in the IQAir database, well into the “hazardous” range, topping even Toronto, Canada, and Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The smoke plume from hundreds of wildfires in Canada and Minnesota began crossing into Northern Michigan during the day on Wednesday. By midnight Wednesday, the MiAir database showed significantly deteriorating air quality in Southeast Michigan.
The CBS News Detroit weather team has declared Thursday and Friday to be NEXT Weather Alert Days, stepping up forecasts and announcements as needed.
Air quality forecast for Metro Detroit on July 16, 2026.
CBS News Detroit
How bad is the air?
The MiAir database run by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy showed air quality numbers well over the “very unhealthy” range in multiple locations in Metro Detroit early Thursday.
Other communities in Michigan, including Lansing, Flint and Grand Rapids saw readings at or above the very unhealthy range early Thursday.
The air quality reading in Detroit at 5 a.m. July 16, 2026. Screen image from the AirNow website.
AirNow
How can this affect your health?
Dr. Herb Aronow, the chair of heart and vascular health at Henry Ford Health, says unhealthy air affects everyone with heart and vascular diseases, even those who haven’t been diagnosed yet.
Even healthy people may notice eye irritation or difficulty breathing during prolonged outdoor activity.
How widespread is the smoke?
It’s not just Michigan facing air quality issues. Several states are or will be in the path of the wildfire smoke plume.
Some of the wildfires feeding the smoke plume are in Minnesota, where much of the state is under an air quality alert.
An air quality alert called for the Chicago area was aggravated by wildfire smoke drifting into the region.
Pennsylvania will be under a code red air quality alert on Thursday, the state’s Department of Environmental Protection says.
And the entire state of Ohio was placed under an air quality alert for Thursday as air quality readings may reach the unhealthy stage, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency said.
A map of the wildfire smoke plume across Michigan and other states on July 16, 2026.
CBS News Detroit
What does this mean for summer events and programs?
The combination of poor air quality rising on the heels of a heat wave in Metro Detroit resulted in several summer school and community program closures for Thursday.
When will Detroit get a break from the smoke?
A cold front will move through Southeast Michigan Thursday night into Friday, bringing cooler temperatures, lower humidity, and a shift in winds that should gradually push the wildfire smoke out of the region and improve air quality heading into the weekend.
