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Immense wildfire smoke causes air quality advisory for B.C. Interior

The Okanagan has been pounded with wildfires the past couple of days
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More recent fires across the Okanagan have prompted a provincial smoky skies bulletin. (Jennifer Smith-Morning Star Photo)

A thick swath of smoke has descended across the B.C. Interior prompting a provincial smoky skies bulletin.

The bulletin includes areas from Williams Lake all the way south to the U.S. border and west near the Lower Mainland.

An air quality advisory level of 10 plus, the highest given, is in effect in the North and Central Okanagan, Kamloops and the Kootenays.

B.C. Health Services is reminding individuals to stop or reduce activity levels if breathing becomes uncomfortable. Stay cool, drink plenty of fluids and make sure to check on children and others who cannot care for themselves to follow the same advice.

According to the website World’s Air Quality Index, the air quality rating for Penticton is 251 — rated “very unhealthy.” In comparison, the air quality in Burnaby on the Coast is rated at 15 and Edmonton, Alta. is rated at good at 44. Only China is higher at 279.

The Kamloops Fire Region currently has seven wildfires of note, including the 10,000-hectare Crater Creek wildfire and the 10,000-hectare Adam Lake blaze.

In the Kootenays, there are two wildfires of note, the Horsethief Creek blaze burning at 3,918.5 hectares, while the Lladnar Creek is an estimated 1,200 hectares.

For more information, visit gov.bc.ca/airqualityadvisories.

READ MORE: McDougall Creek fire above West Kelowna grows to 4 hectares

READ MORE: UPDATE: Kelowna grass fire added to BC Wildfire map


@B0B0Assman
bowen.assman@vernonmorningstar.com

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Bowen Assman

About the Author: Bowen Assman

I joined The Morning Star team in January 2023 as a reporter. Before that, I spent 10 months covering sports in Kelowna.
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