ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — With wildfires impacting our neighbors to the north, it has left its mark around the Quad Cities.
Todd Russell works for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and said the Canadian wildfires have created smoke that he's never seen before.
"This is fairly historic," Russell said. "I've been here since 1999 and we've seen levels get as high as we're seeing now, but usually it's short term and it's associated with fireworks or local fires."
It leaves a question for many homeowners: Should you clean or change your air filter at home?
Crawford Company said air filters have been working harder than usual with the smoke in the air, which could possibly mean it needs to be changed.
"Typically you change your filter between one to three months depending on the size of it," Andrew Snyder, who works for Crawford, said. "It really becomes important to make that change when you deal with the air quality that we've seen in the last week."
Snyder added that indoor air quality is important. Luckily, there are signs that can show you when your filter needs to be changed.
"When inspecting your filter, it's important to see if there's any discoloration with it," Snyder said. "Any smells around the home could be an indication that you need a new filter."
Although changing your air filter is important, that's only the beginning of taking care of air quality at home.
"Even though you're changing the filter, that's step one," Snyder said.
Snyder recommends having someone regularly look at and check HVAC equipment. He said staying up to date on maintenance will have better results for your home.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources lifted its air quality advisory on Friday.
Check out more news, weather and sports coverage on News 8's YouTube channel