08/11/2025
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has issued an air quality alert for all of Minnesota. The alert took effect 9 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 10, and runs until 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 12. The affected area includes the Twin Cities metro area, Brainerd, Alexandria, Albert Lea, Marshall, Worthington, Rochester, Hinckley, St. Cloud, Winona, Ortonville, Mankato, Bemidji, East Grand Forks, Moorhead, International Falls, Two Harbors, Hibbing, Ely, Duluth, Roseau, and the Tribal Nations of Upper Sioux, Mille Lacs, Prairie Island, Leech Lake, White Earth, Red Lake, Grand Portage, and Fond du Lac.
The forecasted air quality for the White Earth Nation today is in the red category. This air is unhealthy for everyone. Reduce your time outdoors and stay updated on our air quality conditions by visiting MPCA's current air quality conditions map online here:
https://www.pca.state.mn.us/air-water-land-climate/current-air-quality-conditions
Four air sensors have recently been put up throughout the White Earth Nation to aid in air quality monitoring efforts. These sensors are known as "PurpleAir Sensors", and they report live air quality data online that is available to the public. Below is an image that displays the "PurpleAir Map" at about 9:00am this morning, and you can see the Air Quality Index (AQI) values that are reported by each PurpleAir sensor. Any number between 150 and 200 is a red value (unhealthy air quality for everyone). Air quality information from these sensors can be viewed at the following websites:
https://map.purpleair.com/air-quality-standards-us-epa-aqi?opt=%2F1%2Flp%2Fa10%2Fp604800%2FcC5 #9.02/47.1766/-95.8301
https://fire.airnow.gov/ #8.7/47.242/-95.6478