- Air Quality
Chicago air quality improving amid Canadian wildfire smoke, alert extended into weekend
Air Quality Index map shows unhealthy levels in parts of Chicago area
ByEvelyn Holmes,Tre Ward, andLissette Nuñez
Saturday, July 18, 2026 3:35AM
CHICAGO (WLS) –An Air Quality Alert remains in effect for the Chicago area Friday due to smoke from Canadian wildfires
The alert was extended to be in effect through Saturday night for the parts of the Chicago area in Illinois, and the alert will be in effect until Monday for parts of northwest Indiana
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Air quality remained in the “hazardous” category for the Chicago area Friday morning. It later improved to “unhealthy” levels
ABC7 AccuWeather meteorologists said the worst of the air quality will be in the morning hours and conditions could improve in the afternoon hours
Some rain and storms were expected in the afternoon and evening and it is possible the rain mixes with the smoke to leave behind a sludge
Air quality should be better on Saturday, but smoky skies could return on Sunday
Smoke from Canadian wildfires is seen in downtown Chicago.
The air is unhealthy for anyone to breathe
The pollution forced several major events in the city to be rescheduled, including a Millennium Park summer music series performance and the Chicago Fire match at Soldier Field
The Chicago Park District had officially closed all beaches and outdoor pools Friday, designating only indoor ones stay open. They also moved all-day camps inside
After the air quality improved to “unhealthy,” the park district announced Friday afternoon that all beaches had reopened. However, day camps were still being held indoors
“The Osaka Garden, and both the Garfield Park Conservatory and Lincoln Park Conservatory will remain closed for the day, and re-open tomorrow, July 18 at their regular time,” the park district said in the update. “All Night Out in the Parks and Movies in the Parks events have been cancelled for today.”
As dangerous wildfire smoke temporarily moved out of the Chicago area, residents and event organizers took advantage of improved conditions while continuing to monitor air quality concerns heading into the weekend
Festivalgoers at the Taste of River North welcomed the break from the Canadian wildfire smoke that had blanketed the region for days and contributed to poor air quality
“This band was playing a show, last night, that got canceled. So, I wasn’t sure about tonight, but they luckily, were able to go on, so we’re here,” said Hannah Swanson, who was attending the festival
Tacos y Tamales festival is once again returning to Pilsen this weekend. The three-day festival filled with yummy food and vendors comes as the wildfire smoke lingers
Air quality concerns are continuing during weekend festivals across Chicago.
The event brings out anywhere between 50,000 to 70,000 people through the weekend. Organizers say they have been watching the hazy conditions and are taking precautions
“We totally understand if people want to postpone or wait and check the weekend before they come. We have given vendors the option to also forgo today and try again for tomorrow if they prefer, said Nick Pobutsky, a partner at Green Curtain Events
Not all events benefited from the improving conditions
Chopper 7 was over Roscoe Village Burger Fest, where preparations had been made to open to the public. The event instead remained closed because of air quality concerns
Friday afternoon, the blue skies did make an appearance amid the hazy skyline as many people still reached for masks
Health experts warned that wildfire smoke contains harmful pollutants
Dr. Soledad Cortina, a cornea specialist with the Illinois Society for Eye Physicians and Surgeons and University of Illinois Chicago Department of Ophthalmology, said the tiny particles in the smoke could have lasting health effects
“Some of the components of wildfire are similar to those of like smoke and tobacco, and we know how damaging that is to the eyes and certain chronic conditions,” said Dr. Cortina
Patricia Ward, the Head Scientist at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, said there could be some relief on the way
“We’re really in this area of stagnation with the air and winds and the heat trapping everything, and until that changes, say with the rain for example, or we get winds coming from another direction, that’s when we’re going to see this clear up,” Ward said
Ward added that weather patterns like these could continue to happen in the future
“I think we are seeing that more and more across the U.S., North America, in general and around the world in other places too. The expectation is this climate change is going to continue to contribute more extreme weather,” Ward said
Experts also cautioned that poor air quality can affect people indoors. HVAC technicians are encouraging homeowners to inspect their air filters as smoke and airborne particles remain a concern
“Even if the filter looks white – nice, white and clean, if you hold it up to a light and you can’t see the light through it, that means that it’s clogged up,” said Karol Derezinski, a technician with Shavitz Heating and Air Conditioning
AAA also recommends using a vehicle’s air conditioning in recirculate mode to reduce smoke exposure inside a car by limiting the amount of outside air entering the cabin
While conditions improved temporarily, officials, event organizers and residents continued to watch air quality forecasts as the weekend approached
SEE ALSO: How to stay cool in Chicago area amid rising temperatures this summer: LIST
The smoke and haze blanketing the Chicago area caused low visibility and was expected to create some delays at O’Hare airport
“I feel like I want to go get me a mask for this,” traveler Gary Coleman of Racine Wisconsin said. “I’m glad I’m leaving Chicago today so I don’t have to deal with this. I’m going down south for a little bit.”
Coleman said he loves visiting Chicago, but he said he doesn’t mind getting out of town and away from the smog
Martic Davis shared the same sentiment as she and her granddaughter head out of town
“Difficult, very difficult,” Davis said. “Thank God I don’t have any asthma or anything like that but even she is saying, ‘Grandma it is so foggy and smoky.'”
The haze also threatened to cause low visibility at O’Hare airport, possibly delaying Megan Maresco and her softball trip
“Some of my teammates are having some flight delays right now, so I hope we don’t have a flight. I don’t love the airport, but I don’t love sitting and waiting here forever, but it is what it is. As long as we get there safe,” Maresco said
While health experts say the air is unhealthy for anyone to breathe and encourage people to avoid or limit time outdoors until the air quality gets better, the doctors at eye physicians and surgeons of Chicago say if you have to go outside, ditch the contact lenses
“So the biggest thing that you can do is stay inside,” Dr. Fred Crawford said. “Outside of the that, you know, not be exposed to the elements, other things that you can do if you do have to go outside, if you wear a contact lens, I would try and use your glasses so that the irritants don’t get caught in between your contact lens and your tear film using artificial teardrops that are over the counter at many pharmacies.”
Health experts said the air is unhealthy for everyone to breathe and are encouraging people to avoid or limit time outdoors until the air quality gets better
“If you can see it, and you can smell it, you’re breathing it in…so recommendations right now: if you don’t have to go out, then stay home,” Dr. Juanita Mora of the American Lung Association, said
Doctors also recommend that people stay hydrated, which can help the respiratory system in these smoky conditions
Due to the conditions, the Morton Arboretum’s outdoor areas are closed Friday. Programs scheduled for indoors will continue
On Saturday, severe weather with storms will be possible midday in the southern parts of the Chicago area
More wildfire smoke is expected to return to the Chicago area on Sunday
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