DETROIT — Michigan's Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy has extended the Air Quality Alert for all of the state through Friday due to "Very Unhealthy to Hazardous" air quality conditions caused by smoke from wildfires in Canada and Minnesota.

The state's Air Quality Alert remains in effect through midnight, meteorologists with the National Weather Service's office in White Lake Township said Friday

Weather service officials said they expect an improvement in smoke concentration over Southeast Michigan to begin Friday night as wind shifts to the southwest after a warm front moves through the region.

"Storms and stronger winds from the southwest will start to clear out smoke late Friday, and most locations should see significantly improved air quality by Saturday," officials with the U.S. Interagency Wildland Fire Air Quality Response Program said.

EGLE agrees.

"Our best model for smoke only predicts out to 48 hours," the agency said Thursday. "That model is currently showing improvements on Saturday, but it is likely that smoke will linger and recirculate for a while. The National Weather Service mentions the possibility of rain on Saturday, which would help. The Friday forecast will shed more light on that."

Until then, experts recommend Michigan residents, especially those with heart disease and respiratory conditions such as asthma, avoid strenuous outdoor activities.

In addition, residents should keep windows closed to prevent smoke from entering and run central air conditioning with MERV-13 or higher-rated filters, if possible.

They advise residents limit certain activities, such as outdoor burning, to reduce air pollution.

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