Smoke from Canadian wildfires is leading to very unhealthy air quality for much of Michigan, including all of Southeast Michigan. An air quality alert is in effect for all of Southeast Michigan until noon on Friday.

Many studies have shown how reduced air quality can compare to smoking cigarettes. Moderate air quality currently is like smoking one cigarette per day.

The Michigan Air Quality Division said as smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to threaten the upper Midwest, "monitors in the western (Upper Peninsula) showed a large increase surface concentrations, during Tuesday, as smoke mixed down, which sent PM-2.5 concentrations soaring into the Unhealthy and higher range."