Grace Jacobson / News Director

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) issued an air quality alert for northern and central Minn. on Monday.

The alert went into effect at 6 a.m. on Tuesday and will expire at noon on Wednesday.

The MPCA says air quality is expected to reach the orange AQI category in northern and central Minn., which is unhealthy for sensitive groups.

Smoke from northern Canadian wildfires are the cause of the air quality alert.