TOLEDO, Ohio — The air quality in northwest Ohio continues to be a concern due to the Canadian wildfires, with the resulting smoke-filled air being rated "unhealthy" on the Air Quality Index since Wednesday.
The precautions urged by the city of Toledo resulted in multiple outdoor activities being canceled Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
Practice looked a little different Thursday for the Whitmer High School girls soccer team, as they ran up and down a stretch of the school's adjunct gym instead of their usual spot on the soccer field.
Due to the air quality, the girls team, and every other Whitmer team that practices outdoors, was moved inside to practice until the air reaches a healthier rating.
"We started looking [at the AQI] and seeing 190, 193, and ultimately it was determined moving inside would be in their best interest," WHS Principal Jennifer Bronikowski said.
While the track team practiced in the weight room, the football team practiced in the hallway. Everyone found a way to still get in their training, even if the environment is unconventional.
"I know that football and tennis don't happen inside typically, but it won't hurt them to come in for a few days and do their practices inside," Bronikowski said.
They're not the only ones operating out of an abundance of caution. Metroparks Toledo shut down all of its outdoor programs Thursday.
"Summer camp took the day off because kids would be running around normally," Metroparks spokesperson Scott Carpenter said. "Our canal boat operation is shut down for the day. It's not strenuous for the passengers, but it is for the crew. [We're] just thinking about our staff, our volunteers, and certainly our visitors."
Metroparks also established a new rule that when air quality reaches an "unhealthy" designation, cancellations will follow.
All YMCA-JCC outdoor events and an outdoor performance from the Perrysburg Symphony Orchestra were among other cancellations.
But not everyone is trying to avoid the haze. Football teams from Florence, Italy, and Parma, Italy, are still actively preparing for the Italian Bowl on Saturday. So, practice goes on rain, shine or even smog.
"These guys are pretty resilient, so I don't think anyone has noticed a huge difference," Jared Jerbino, quarterback of the Florence Guelfi, said.
With haze expected to be an issue on and off for the rest of the summer, Whitmer's principal said "never say never" to more indoor days.