Canadian wildfires bring 'unhealthy' air quality back to Bloomington-Normal

Poor air quality caused by Canadian wildfires is expected to persist into Friday in Bloomington-Normal, according to the National Weather Service.

Bloomington-Normal was registering a 160 air quality index [AQI] as of Thursday night. That means the hazy air is unhealthy. People with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and teens should take special precautions. That includes avoiding strenuous outdoor activities, keeping outdoor activities short, and moving physical activities indoors or rescheduling.

Everyone else should choose less strenuous activities (like walking instead of running) so you don’t breathe as hard, shorten the amount of time you are active outdoors, and be active outdoors when air quality is better.

The poor air quality canceled Thursday night's performance of Hamlet at the Illinois Shakespeare Festival. The AQI was much higher than what's allowed (up to 101) by the Actors' Equity Association, the festival said on Facebook.

Air quality is forecast to be unhealthy for most people through the overnight hours, the National Weather Service reported.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency issued an Air Pollution Action Day for Friday for all of Illinois due to the wildfire smoke.