Most of North Idaho is under an Air Quality Advisory as several wildfires continue to burn throughout the region.

The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality issued the advisory Thursday morning for Kootenai, Shoshone, Bonner, and Benewah counties. 

Air quality is expected to worsen into the weekend and is projected to be "unhealthy for sensitive groups," though little risk is posed to the general public, DEQ said in a release. 

Open burning is also prohibited under the advisory, which is in effect until Saturday.

In Boundary County, the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho issued an air quality advisory Thursday as well as a ban on open burning on the tribal reservation due to the elevated pollution levels.

The burn ban applies to all outdoor burning — including agricultural, camping and recreational fires — within the external boundaries of the reservation, regardless of land ownership or tribal membership.

Residents are encouraged to reduce additional sources of air pollution, such as automobile exhaust, as much as possible.

Wildfire smoke is more than an irritant and can have long-lasting effects on health, Kootenai Tribe officials said. Sensitive groups should avoid outdoor exercise and limit exposure to outdoor air. These groups include older adults, children, pregnant individuals and those with heart or lung conditions.

Smoke from several massive fires to the northeast of Vancouver is being pushed south into the Inland Northwest by wind conditions, according to the latest forecasts from AirNow. 

Over 160 active fires have burned nearly 18 million acres in Canada this year, the latest data from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre shows. 

The largest active fires in North Idaho, the Lightning Creek Fire in Bonner County and the Ulm Creek Fire at the Idaho/Montana border, are each sitting at over 2,000 acres. Several active fires in northeastern Washington have burned thousands of acres. 

To check air quality conditions, visit the EPA AirNow website. For tips on protecting yourself before, during and after wildfire smoke exposure, see the AirNow Wildfires page.