07/16/2026
The massive fires in Ely and the Boundary Waters and the choking smoke across the state are what climate chaos looks and feels like in Minnesota. Today, our neighbors in the Northland are on the frontlines; another community will be next. As a statewide multifaith climate justice network, we are called to respond with compassion, clarity, and concrete action.
In addition to keeping ourselves safe by masking and staying indoors when we can, here are some practical things you and your congregation can do to help our neighbors in the Northland:
- Care for Your Neighbors: Check in on elders, children, people with asthma or other respiratory conditions, and those without air conditioning. If local public health officials advise staying indoors, follow that guidance and help others access cleaner indoor air where possible.
- Offer or Request Temporary Hosting: We are organizing a network of hosts who can provide short-term stays for people needing to leave high-risk areas due to air quality or fire risk. Do you need a safe place to stay because you have been evacuated? Email [email protected] and we can try to find help.
- Strengthen Congregational Resilience:
If you are a leader or active member in your congregation, please:
Talk with your leadership about opening your building as a cleaner-air, cooling space during extreme smoke or heat events and begin identifying volunteers, basic supplies (fans, filters, masks, water, snacks), and simple protocols for welcoming vulnerable neighbors.
If your congregation is already opening its doors or planning to, please reply to this email so we can share and amplify your story across our network.
Consider signing up to be an emerging resilience hub through our year long Community of Practice. From September - May we will host monthly gatherings to help you prepare your community for the next emergency. Learn more here:
- Build Affordable Air Filters & Learn About Air Quality:
MNIPL and Masjid An Nur are hosting an in-person air quality and filter-building workshop in Minneapolis with support from Hennepin County on July 29.
RSVP here: http://mnipl.nationbuilder.com/air_quality or let us know if you’d like us to bring a workshop to you.
This is a hard and heartbreaking moment. It is also a moment for our statewide network to live into the values we claim: solidarity, compassion, justice, and hope.
Thank you for all the ways you are caring for your neighbors, organizing in your congregations, and pushing for the systemic changes needed so that these emergencies become less frequent and less severe.
Air quality is expected to reach the red (unhealthy for everyone) and maroon (hazardous) AQI categories over the next couple of days due to wildfire smoke. An extreme heat warning is also in effect for much of the state.
• Check the air at https://www.airnow.gov/? for conditions.
• Know your risk.
• Stay indoors in air-conditioned spaces as much as you can.
• Keep indoor air clean. Run air conditioning on recirculate or use an air cleaner.
• If you must be outdoors, take more clean air, cooling, and hydration breaks. A properly-fitted N95 or KN95 mask can offer some protection from wildfire smoke.
Small choices add up – take care of yourself and each other (including pets) on hot, smoky days.
Go to https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/emergency/natural/wildfires.html and https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/climate/extremeheat.html for tips on how to stay safe.
