Air quality conditions have drastically improved from just a week ago, but some wildfire smoke still lingers as residents hope to breathe clear again.
“With this widespread rainfall, most of the area saw rain (including in Ontario and northern Minnesota), which has put a limiting mark on new hot spots with wildfire,’ Gaylord NWS meteorologist Harold Dippman said.
Although several fires remain hot north of the border, the Thunder Bay area received anywhere from a half to an inch of rain.
More than 25 wildfires — part of what’s being called the “July 2026 Superior National Forest” fire event — are burning across roughly 77,000 acres in northern Minnesota, including inside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, which has been closed indefinitely.
Lightning sparked most of the fires, and they’re burning deep into peat and root systems, so crews (about 700 firefighters) expect some could smolder for months rather than being fully contained soon. Meanwhile, more than 100 wildfires are active across Canada, and forecasters expect another 12-16 days of smoke drifting into Minnesota and the Great Lakes region through early August, even though air quality has eased somewhat in the last few days.
“We are also seeing stronger wind flows as well, and a big difference is there is a decent amount of moisture in the air and sharply cooler temps in the 60s and 70s with boundary waters in Ontario reaching as low as 40 degrees,” Dippman said. “This weather is not as conducive for wildfires for the time being. With that being said, some hot spots remain and much lower amounts of smoke drift, with the current wind pattern most will be suppressed west.”
Northport Creek Golf Course closed for two days last week, Thursday and Friday, due to the poor air quality, including its course, pro shop, and driving range.
“The local Air Quality Index (AQI) has reached a hazardous level well above 500 due to extreme wildfire smoke. Public health officials have advised against all outdoor activity and physical exertion. Because visibility is severely limited and the air poses an immediate health risk, we cannot safely operate the course or maintenance facilities,” Northport Creek owner Chris McCann said in an email statement.
Northern Michigan was also under a heat advisory last week that exacerbated conditions with high humidity and temperatures expected to stay cooler in the 70s this weekend.
