An air quality alert for central and southern Minnesota continues from Wednesday into Thursday until 11 p.m. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency says the area under the alert starts around Alexandria,

An air quality index of 300 or higher is considered hazardous, and the record-breaking smoke AQI in Grand Portage reached 800 on Tuesday.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency issued an air quality alert for much of state through Wednesday as smoke from wildfires burning in Canada settled across the upper Midwest.