Smoke fills the sky and blankets the Vancouver skyline, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020. Metro Vancouver has issued an air quality advisory due to the smoke from wildfires burning in the northwestern United States. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
Republished September 11, 2020 - 7:13 PM
Original Publication Date September 11, 2020 - 6:36 AM
VANCOUVER - Environment Canada has expanded air quality statements to almost all of British Columbia because of wildfire smoke wafting up from the United States.
The smoky skies bulletin says all but the most northerly regions of the province are likely to be affected by wildfire smoke for up to three days.
Some regions like southern Vancouver Island have been dealing with smoke for days but the bulletin says the smoke is likely to move east and north as the weekend progresses with the most widespread impacts tomorrow.
It says areas further north like Prince George may get smoke passing through the region, but at higher altitudes.
B.C.'s air quality index shows high health risks on southern Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland with the risk decreasing to low moving north and east.
Crews are fighting dozens of wildfires in the northwestern United States and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is calling them "climate fires."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2020
News from © The Canadian Press, 2020