MINNEAPOLIS — Air quality experts are once again sounding the alarm about hazardous conditions.
"We've seen some smoke — another batch from Canada come last night," said Nick Witcraft with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
Smoke blowing into Minnesota from Canadian wildfires has prompted another air quality alert, leaving some to wonder if there's any way to escape from the haze.
Another air quality alert has made its way into Minnesota due to smoke blowing in from Canadian wildfires, which has some asking: Is there any way to escape the haze?
Here are a few tips from experts:
"Keep your windows shut. If you have an air filter, run that," said Witcraft. "Despite every desire to let the fresh air come in, close your windows. If you have an AC, let that air conditioner run," said Jon Ryan.
Genz-Ryan owner and President Jon Ryan says it's important to make sure your AC is running smoothly.
"That unit that sits on the outside that most people think of as air conditioner, make sure it's free of obstructions," said Ryan. "Speaking more on the inside of your house, there are other things you can do, [like] duct cleaning."
"Turn the fan on your thermostat, and that will circulate air throughout the home," said Nate Stoll, with Standard Heating and Air Conditioning. "We have a Merv 16 that we use and this is an electronic filter we recommend."
At Standard Heating and Air Conditioning, they're already seeing an influx in calls for service this summer.
"Most of the calls are systems that aren't working correctly, but we hear what are reactive/proactive things we can do to clean the air," said Stoll.
And when it comes to keeping the smoke out?
"Create a clean air room in your house — that's one room, preferably a bedroom with well-sealed windows — so no smoke can get in," said Dr. Laalitha Surapaneni, assistant professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School.
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