INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — An air quality alert has been issued for much of northern Indiana and parts of north central Indiana from midnight Wednesday to midnight Thursday due to smoke from Canadian wildfires.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management declared an Air Quality Action Day, a warning that concentrations of fine particulate matter are expected to reach unhealthy levels for sensitive groups.

The alert includes the counties of Adams, Allen, Blackford, Cass, De Kalb, Elkhart, Fulton, Grant, Huntington, Jay, Kosciusko, Lagrange, La Porte, Marshall, Miami, Noble, St. Joseph, Starke, Steuben, Wabash, Wells and Whitley. The alert includes the cities of Fort Wayne, Gary, Hammond, Gas City, Hartford City, Marion, Merrillville, Michigan City, Mishawaka, Portage, Rochester, South Bend, Valparaiso, and Chesterton, among others.

Residents — especially people with respiratory conditions such as asthma, as well as active children and adults — were advised to take precautions, including putting limits on prolonged outdoor activities.

Officials also recommended motorists reduce emissions through walking, biking, carpooling, or using public transportation. People also were advised to avoid refueling vehicles or using gasoline-powered lawn equipment until after 7 p.m., and to turn off engines when idling for more than 30 seconds.

Another recommended measure was to conserve energy by turning off lights or setting air conditioners to 75 degrees or above.