WCCO travels to Canada to see source of wildfire smoke pouring into Minnesota
WINNIPEG, MANITOBA – Polluted skies are plaguing our summer.
We've scorched our previous record for air quality alerts, and more are expected before fall arrives.
RELATED: Air quality alert issued for central and northern Minnesota due to wildfire smoke
WCCO reporter Jonah Kaplan and photojournalist Mike Durenberger traveled to Manitoba, Canada – the source of the wildfire smoke – to give you a first-hand look at the problem.
Two hours north of Winnipeg, a fresh fire has started. Manitoba authorities say the whole area was actually on fire a month ago. And what's burning right now are just reeds -- not even trees.
So the crews right now, as stretched thin as they are, say their only option is to watch and to wait. That's because the real danger is if the fire spreads from a river bank into a nearby forest.
RELATED: Canadian wildfire maps show where fires continue to burn across Quebec, Ontario and other provinces
This is the 200th wildfire in Manitoba this season. There have been 4,200 across the entirety of Canada.
Those in the United States know what happens with all this smoke because we see it and we breathe it as well.
This is just one element of our wide-ranging coverage for WCCO, as we travel to Canada to bring you more context and perspective on what's happening there, and how it's affecting residents of Minnesota and Wisconsin.