SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- An Air Quality Action Day is forecast for parts of Northwest, North Central, and Northeast Indiana Thursday due to significant concentrations of wildfire smoke moving into the state from the north.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management notes the smoke is currently behind a front.

IDEM officials say the smoke, along with other meteorological factors, such as light winds and recent stagnant conditions, will produce fine particulate matter (PM2.5) readings in the Unhealthy range in the affected areas.

Ozone levels are expected to reach the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups range.

The affected areas include:

• Northwest Indiana - Crown Point, Gary, Hammond, Kentland, LaPorte, Michigan City, Portage, Rensselaer, Valparaiso, and all other cities within the area.
• North Central Indiana - Elkhart, Goshen, Knox, Logansport, Plymouth, Peru, South Bend, Warsaw, Winamac, and all other cities within the area.
• Northeast Indiana - Angola, Auburn, Decatur, Fort Wayne, Hartford, Huntington City, LaGrange, Marion, Portland, Wabash, and all other cities within the area.

You can keep track of the air quality in your area via the IDEM website.