Edmonton is under a special air quality statement due to the wildfire smoke

A very orange sky greeted Edmontonians this morning, along with a strong smell of wildfire smoke.

Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued a special air quality statement for much of the province, including Edmonton, saying that smoke is causing poor air quality and reduced visibility.

Most of the smoke is coming from wildfires in the northwest regions of the province, according to a map from FireSmoke.

FireSmoke

After yesterday’s heat, it was a bit of a rude awakening for those of us who slept with the windows open last night.

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“Wildfire smoke is a constantly-changing mixture of particles and gasses which includes many chemicals that can harm your health,” says ECCC. The agency adds that if you or anyone in your care are exposed to wildfire smoke, you should consider taking extra precautions to reduce exposure.

People with lung diseases, such as asthma and COPD, can be susceptible to air pollution.

Conditions are expected to last through the day and improve by tomorrow.