Air quality in Metro Vancouver set to worsen into the weekend
Did you notice a haze in the skies yet? As wildfire smoke builds across the province and southern parts of BC are under air quality advisories, Metro Vancouver could be next.
Geoff Doerksen, an air quality planner for Metro Vancouver, spoke to Daily Hive and said they were watching the air quality closely.
Doerksen expects to issue an air quality advisory later in the day or possibly on Saturday.
Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley could experience “intermittent smoke impacts” over the weekend.
“Wildfire smoke concentrations can vary widely across the region as winds, temperatures, and wildfires change,” said Doerksen.
“Smoke models are forecasting medium to high-risk later today and tomorrow,” he said.
Some wildfire activity from a complex of fires southeast of Hope and Chilliwack is partly to blame. There are also wildfires happening in Washington, spreading throughout the nearby state.
“It’s really the Heather Lake fire that’s producing the most smoke, and they’re all compiling together,” said Doerksen.
For information on real-time air quality, you can check the Metro Vancouver AirMap. It’s already predicting worsening air quality levels heading into Saturday, September 10.
AirMap
“During the event, consider using a portable air filter that uses HEPA filtration to remove smoke from the air,” said Doerksen.
But just because the skies look hazy doesn’t mean that anything’s wrong just yet.
“We’re concerned about what people are breathing on the surface, so when you look at a mountain vista, you’re looking at layers in the atmosphere,” said Doerksen.
“Relying on haze alone is not a great indicator of risk,” he continued.
You can check the BCCDC wildfire fact sheets for additional health information.
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