The haze/smoke in Central Minnesota is causing the air quality to reach unsafe levels for sensitive groups. The minute you step outside the smoke becomes very noticeable and you might be wondering where exactly it is coming from.

It turns out there are a series of major wildfires raging right now just north of Minnesota at Ontario, Canada's Quetico Provincial Park. The park is located about 30 miles from the United States/Canada border.

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As of last week there were 91 separate fires burning in the area that were mostly started by lightning, according to the CBC.

A Canadian Fire Chief told the CBC the fires are difficult to suppress due to the recent drought and added that fires are also burning deep into the ground (up to 18").

The fires currently burning in Northern California and the Pacific Northwest are affecting a huge swath of the country from the west coast all the way to Ohio.

As a result of the smoke from the fires the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has issued an air quality alert for most of the state of Minnesota, including St. Cloud. Air quality reached an "unhealthy" level for sensitive groups on Tuesday and it is expected to stay that way through Thursday.

In addition, park rangers at the Boundary Waters Canoe Area are working quickly to get campers to evacuate the area due to fears of the fires spreading to the area quickly.

The only way this will end is with a good run of rainy days which, sadly, are not in the forecast any time soon.

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