The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has issued an Air Quality Action Day for portions of central Indiana that will remain in effect until midnight EDT Monday due to elevated levels of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) associated with wildfire smoke.
The alert includes the first 10 affected counties: Carroll, Warren, Tippecanoe, Clinton, Howard, Fountain, Montgomery, Boone, Tipton, and Hamilton. Communities within the advisory area include Delphi, Flora, Williamsport, West Lebanon, Lafayette, West Lafayette, Frankfort, Kokomo, Attica, Covington, Veedersburg, Crawfordsville, Lebanon, Zionsville, Tipton, Fishers, Carmel, and Noblesville.
According to IDEM, PM 2.5 concentrations are expected to reach the “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” category. Children, older adults, and people with respiratory conditions such as asthma or other lung diseases are at the greatest risk of experiencing health effects.
Health officials recommend limiting or avoiding prolonged outdoor exposure to wildfire smoke, reducing strenuous outdoor activities such as exercise or heavy labor, and keeping windows and doors closed as much as possible to prevent smoke from entering homes. Residents with air conditioning are encouraged to use the recirculation setting, and those with air purifiers should consider using them to improve indoor air quality.
Anyone who experiences symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath, chest discomfort, or eye irritation should move indoors and seek medical attention if symptoms become severe.
The Air Quality Action Day is scheduled to remain in effect until midnight Monday, and residents are encouraged to monitor local conditions and take precautions to protect their health while smoke remains in the area.