The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency issued an air quality alert running from 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 15 to 11 a.m. Friday, July 17, driven by fine particulate matter from wildfire smoke. The alert covers a huge swath of the state — east central, central, west central, southeast, north central, south central, northwest and northeast Minnesota, including the Twin Cities metro, plus Brainerd, Rochester, Duluth and St. Cloud — and could stretch past Friday morning in some areas, the agency said.
The Twin Cities landed in the alert's worst category, maroon, or "hazardous," with the MPCA advising people to avoid outdoor physical activity and stay indoors. The agency noted that hourly pollution readings had already surpassed previous records for the Twin Cities. Anyone with chest pain, breathing trouble or signs of a cardiac event was told to call 911.
Bloomington closed its Family Aquatic Center until further notice on July 16 because of the smoke, though the lobby stayed open so people could buy half-price passes. Richfield shut down its Outdoor Pool and splash pad, and Edina closed its Aquatic Center and cancelled that night's Member Night event.
Richfield also called off a slate of July 16 programming: a nature hunt and an evening building-materials swap at Veterans Memorial Park, playground programs, tennis and skateboard lessons, and its Wood Lake programs, which moved indoors to the Community Center instead. In Edina, the Centennial Lakes Park clubhouse — including the putting course and paddle boats — stayed closed until 3 p.m., though the farmers market went ahead from 3 to 7 p.m.
The EPA's guidance cited in the report called conditions "hazardous for everyone," warning of irritated eyes, nose and throat, coughing and chest tightness, with more serious risk of asthma attacks and heart problems for vulnerable residents.