The return of wildfire smoke from fires burning in Canada has sparked another air quality alert in Minnesota, which will be in effect through Tuesday. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has placed the northern two-thirds of the state in the red alert zone, which means "unhealthy" for all residents, through 9 a.m. Tuesday.

On Monday at 9:28 a.m. the Nation Service reported an air quality alert in effect until 11 p.m. for Sussex, Warren, Morris, Hunterdon, Somerset, Middlesex and Mercer counties.

At least twelve states have issued air quality alerts and advisories due to the ongoing Canadian wildfires sending smoke down to the Great Lakes region and the northeastern United States, the National Weather Service reported on Tuesday.