ST. PAUL — The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has issued an air pollution advisory for parts of Minnesota, including the Twin Cities metro area.

The agency said the advisory was prompted by a narrow plume of smoke form fires in Kansas and Nebraska.

Other affected areas include Mankato, Hutchinson, St. Cloud, Marshall, Willmar, Detroit Lakes, Brainerd, Bemidji, and Thief River Falls. The health advisory was in effect until 8 a.m. today, when winds are expected to bring cleaner air into the state.

For now though, the agency said fine particle pollution is in the air, which could pose a problem to at-risk populations, including people with cardiovascular or respiratory disease, the elderly and children.