air quality warning issued for metro vancouver as wildfire smoke worsens
1 minute read
we apologize, but this video has failed to load.
try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
residents across metro vancouver and the fraser valley woke up to hazy skies on wednesday as wildfire smoke pushed air quality levels into the high-risk range across much of the region.
metro vancouver regional district issued a yellow air quality warning, which indicates a high health risk, for metro vancouver and the central fraser valley, including abbotsford and mission, due to high levels of fine particulate matter. residents are advised to limit outdoor activities.
metro’s air quality map showed a high health risk across much of metro vancouver and the fraser valley wednesday morning, including vancouver, burnaby, the north shore, coquitlam, port moody, pitt meadows and maple ridge.
“there’s a number of wildfires in and around the interior causing a lot of smoke and wildfires burning south of the border,” said environment canada meteorologist christy climenhaga. “it’s just a lot of smoke around.”
air quality was varied across the region, with downtown vancouver and inland seeing a bit more smoke compared to richmond, where a westerly flow helped push wildfire smoke from the area.
conditions were worse in the fraser valley. an orange air quality warning, which indicates a very high health risk, remains in effect for the eastern fraser valley including chilliwack, agassiz, and hope. residents are advised to avoid outdoor activities.
people with lung, heart and other chronic conditions, pregnant women, infants, children, seniors and outdoor workers are more vulnerable, said the advisory.
by wednesday afternoon, the air quality in most parts of metro vancouver was downgraded to medium risk.
scenes from crescent beach after a yellow warning has been issued for air quality due to forest fires around the province on wednesday
nick procaylo
/
png
climenhaga said the hazy and smoky conditions are expected to ease in metro vancouver later in the day into thursday, but that’s dependent not just on wildfire behaviour but also wind direction and other weather factors.
advertisement
there are about 120 wildfires across b.c., including six wildfires of note burning in the southern interior.
scenes from crescent beach after a yellow warning has been issued for air quality due to forest fires around the province on wednesday
nick procaylo
/
png
share story
