Fires near and far to blame for Vancouver's smokey skies

Sep 10 2022, 4:33 pm

If you notice the smell of smoke in Vancouver, your nose knows what’s up.

While there is no official air quality advisory in place yet for Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, smoke is definitely in the air thanks to fires near and far.

Smoke from the Heather Lake fire and wildfire activity from a complex of fires southeast of Hope and Chilliwack are partly to blame.

Geoff Doerksen, an air quality planner for Metro Vancouver, told Daily Hive that Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley could experience “intermittent smoke impacts” over the weekend.

Smoke bands started to become visible in the skies across Metro Vancouver Friday evening.

But it’s not just the wildfires far away contributing to the smell of smoke.

Vancouver Fire Rescue Services Chief Karen Fry shared that in the early morning hours, crews were battling a 3rd alarm fire, creating heavy smoke in the River District.

The fire, where mostly wood debris was burning, continued to pour smoke into the air for hours.

 

For information on real-time air quality, you can check the Metro Vancouver AirMap. In the morning on Saturday, September 10, it was showing poor air quality in parts of Richmond and Tsawwassen.

smoke

AirMap

“Wildfire smoke concentrations can vary widely across the region as winds, temperatures, and wildfires change,” said Doerksen.

You can check the BCCDC wildfire fact sheets for additional health information.

Did you take a photo of the smokey skies in Vancouver? Send it to us at [email protected].

With files from Daily Hive Staff.

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