Midwest Cities Plagued by World's Worst Air Quality

Minneapolis woke up to a grim distinction Thursday: Overnight, it topped the global charts for worst air among major cities, ABC News reports. Thick smoke from fast-moving wildfires in northern Minnesota and across the border in Ontario pushed much of the city into the "hazardous" range overnight, with some spots hitting an air quality index of 460—well beyond the 300 threshold considered dangerous for everyone. By Thursday afternoon, Minneapolis had dropped to third-worst, behind Chicago and Detroit, CBS News reports.

Officials urged all residents to stay inside, keep windows closed, and limit physical activity. "Please take this seriously," Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey posted on X, noting that children, older adults, and people with heart or lung conditions face higher risks. As of Wednesday, the US Forest Service counted 15 active fires in Superior National Forest, including several in the Boundary Waters, with some blazes merging and potentially burning into the fall. More than 180 fires are also burning in Ontario. A National Weather Service meteorologist said only a major pattern shift and sustained, heavy rain—"rain with a name"—is likely to end it. Fire crews on both sides of the border are battling the flames and carrying out evacuations.

Air quality was also affected elsewhere in the US, the AP reports. Concerns led to a time change for a baseball game in Philadelphia and the postponement of soccer games in Chicago as well as Ontario.