As thick smoke from Canadian wildfires blanketed southeast Wisconsin Thursday, Milwaukee's air quality reached hazardous levels, prompting the city to suspend garbage and recycling collection, close its drop-off centers and halt non-emergency outdoor work.
Health officials urged residents to stay indoors, avoid strenuous outdoor activity and wear a properly fitted N95 mask if they must go outside. But for many people on Milwaukee's north side, staying indoors simply isn't an option.
Milwaukee Fresh Air Collective founder and air quality expert Langston Verdin spent the morning driving through north side neighborhoods, handing out free N95 masks to people waiting at bus stops and others spending time outdoors.
Watch: Canada wildfire smoke pushes Milwaukee air quality to hazardous levels as volunteers hand out free N95 masks
Among them was Ms. T, who said living with asthma makes days like this especially concerning.
"I have asthma, and this is one of my main concerns. I hate to be outside, but you need to come outside, you know, cause you have places to go and stuff," Ms. T said. She said she limits the amount of time she spends outside, drinks plenty of water, and wears a mask wherever she goes.
"You just have to keep yourself safe," Ms. T said. Even while protecting herself, Ms. T said she's also thinking about others.
"I always look out for my elderly because I used to work in that field," she said. Verdin said this smoke event is unlike anything his organization has recorded since it began monitoring neighborhood air quality.
"This is the worst I've ever seen it. I've been doing this work for six years now, and we've never seen smoke pollution this bad," Verdin said. The nonprofit operates a network of 35 neighborhood air-quality sensors across Milwaukee, providing residents with real-time readings in the communities where they live, work and send their children to school.
Thursday morning, those sensors recorded hazardous Air Quality Index (AQI) readings across the city, with some locations exceeding 700 AQI.
"The numbers we're seeing this morning are scary high. We've seen numbers ranging from over 400 AQI to a few of our sensors in the Washington Heights neighborhood around 700 AQI. Regardless, anything over 300 is extremely hazardous to your health," Verdin said. While the smoky skyline was visible across Milwaukee, Verdin said the greatest concern isn't what people can see—it's who is most vulnerable to breathing it.
"I worry about kids, our older adults who maybe don't have air conditioning and so it's hot out, and they have to open up their windows, and you let all that poor, poor air quality, all the smoke in," Verdin said. He said Milwaukee Fresh Air Collective was founded after recognizing significant racial disparities in asthma-related health outcomes, particularly among children.
"We saw huge disparities related to Black and white healthcare utilization specific to asthma, and really specific to kids is what we're looking at," Verdin said. "All of our work is really targeting those communities, making sure those at most risk, those folks that are most vulnerable, have the information they need to keep themselves safe."City officials said air quality may continue to fluctuate as smoke shifts across the region. Even healthy people can experience coughing, eye irritation, sore throats and shortness of breath when air quality reaches hazardous levels.
Langston Verdin encouraged people to trust both the data and how they feel physically.
"Ultimately, you don't have to rely on an app. You don't have to rely on someone else to tell you. Just listen to your body. If you're feeling it, take care of yourself, limit your time outside, cover your face when possible, and we'll get through this," Verdin said. The City of Milwaukee recommends residents remain indoors whenever possible, keep windows closed, run air conditioning on recirculate if available, and wear a well-fitting N95 respirator if outdoor activity cannot be avoided. Residents can monitor current conditions through AirNow, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, or Milwaukee Fresh Air Collective's neighborhood sensor network.
Editor's note: Langston Verdin, founder of Milwaukee Fresh Air Collective, is the twin brother of TMJ4 reporter Gideon Verdin. The relationship was disclosed on-air as part of TMJ4's commitment to transparency.
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