Photographs of an orange haze blanketing the boroughs of New York City went viral earlier this summer. Now, similar images are being captured closer to home as Canadian wildfire smoke is rolling through the Midwest and covering up Milwaukee’s sports stadiums and Chicago’s tallest skyscraper.

Illinois and Wisconsin’s air quality indexes (AQI) were among the worst in the world this week. The AQI map shows the states painted in purple, meaning the air quality is at a “very unhealthy” level for children, adults and people with respiratory disease.

The message during this time is simple.

“The best thing to do is stay indoors,” explains Dr. Mary Jo Rolfes-Lo, an allergist in Oak Creek, Wis. “If you need to go outdoors, then wear a mask that filters fine and ultrafine particles.”

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