A Rutland neighbourhood experienced smoky skies Friday morning, July 31.
(CARLI BERRY / iNFOnews.ca)
July 31, 2020 - 11:55 AM
A smoky haze blanketing the Interior is expected to hang around until Monday, according to an Environment Canada meteorologist.
“There are fires south of the border right to California so I think the smoke is drifting up from south of the line and it will probably stick around in some shape or form unless we get thunderstorms that will clear the air a bit, until Monday,” said Doug Lundquist, meteorologist with Environment Canada.
Air quality in the Thompson Okanagan is considered to be “good” at this time, according to the Real-Time Air Quality Index, with the exception of Vernon listed as "fair" with 56 PM 2.5. The lower the number, the cleaner the air.
The smoky view from a Kamloops neighbourhood, July 31.
Image Credit: Brie Welton
Air quality is measured by fine particles in the air, called PM2.5, which is the number of tiny particles or droplets that are two and one half microns or less in width in the air, according to B.C.'s Ministry of Environment.
The scale ranges from 1 to 500+. Anything above 100 PM 2.5 is considered to carry a health risk.
“From our understanding, it’s not just in the Interior (that’s experiencing the haze), it’s in other parts of B.C. as well,” said Gagan Lidhran, fire information officer with the B.C. Wildfire Service, adding that the smoke is mainly coming from wildfires in Washington and Montana.
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