Wildfire smoke blankets Metro Detroit

• EGLE called the smoke concentrations "unprecedented" and said they far exceeded those of similar events in 2023 and 2025.
• Officials urged residents to limit outdoor time, close windows and take other precautions.

The latest: A statewide air quality alert remains in effect through Friday because of fine-particle pollution from the wildfires.

By the numbers: The Detroit-Southwest monitoring station reached an air quality index of 650 Thursday morning, according to Michigan's MiAir dashboard. The standard EPA Air Quality Index tops out at 500. (Hazardous is 301-500.)

• EGLE spokesperson Josef Stephens confirmed the reading while noting that air quality values fluctuate throughout the day.

What they're saying: "These are the highest levels we've ever seen," National Weather Service meteorologist Steven Freitag tells Axios Detroit.

• "It's extreme. No ifs, ands or buts about it."

State of play: Winds shifted earlier this week, carrying smoke from wildfires burning northwest of Lake Superior into southeast Michigan. A stagnant atmosphere has kept the smoke trapped near the ground instead of dispersing, Freitag says.

Zoom in: The fires are closer to Michigan than Canadian wildfire events in recent years, allowing unusually high concentrations of smoke to reach the region, Freitag says.

What's next: A strong cold front expected Saturday should sweep the smoke out of the region and bring noticeably cleaner air, he says.

Yes, but: The fires burning in Minnesota and Canada are far from over. That means additional rounds of wildfire smoke remain possible later this summer.