Skies now smoky enough to take your breath away
Okanagan air quality rated as ‘very unhealthy’
Air quality has plummeted as the Okanagan Valley is blanketed in smoke. The streets look almost otherworldly, and the other side of Okanagan Lake is completely obscured. The border between water and sky is a blurred, hazy greyscale.
The British Columbia Air Quality Index rates regions on a 10-point scale. On Monday, the North, Central and South Okanagan were all rated at a 10+ (very high — it is suggested that people reduce or reschedule strenuous outdoor activities).
The Worldwide Air Quality Index uses the concentration of fine particulate matter for a more specific reading of air quality. As of noon Monday, Kelowna was rated at 235, described as “very unhealthy.” Values over 300 are “hazardous.”
Comparatively, the air quality in Beijing on Monday was registered at 158, and the air quality in New Delhi was 117.
People, especially the elderly, children and those with pre-existing health conditions, are advised to reduce outdoor activity, stay hydrated and seek buildings with commercial air filters (malls, libraries, community centres, etc.) if they feel unwell.
Due to the air quality advisory issued by Environment Canada, West Kelowna Recreation and Culture moved its Evening Park Play Day indoors on Monday.
“At this time, we are not finding a significant increase in visits to the KGH Emergency Department related to wildfire smoke,” said Haley Allen, communications consultant with Interior Health. “The number of visits are remaining consistent with this time of year.”
The B.C. Air Quality Index’s 10+ rating is expected to drop to eight today, though smoke prediction is often unreliable.
The number of fires burning in the province shot up over the weekend, to nearly 600.
A fire at Gottfriedsen Mountain, 24 kilometres west of West Kelowna, is estimated to cover 730 hectares. The blaze is being battled by a team of 52 firefighters and 10 pieces of heavy equipment.
“The smoke reduces visibility, which is hindering aircraft,” said fire information officer Nicole Bonnett. “The fire’s size is also subject to change due to visibility.”
The fire at Harris Creek FSR, 16 kilometres southeast of Lumby, is still classified as out of control. A crew of 24 firefighters, eight helicopters and eight other pieces of heavy equipment completed a wide containment line around a large part of the fire over the weekend.
The forecast for the rest of this week is fairly consistently hot and dry, with sunny skies, highs of 29 or 30 C and lows of 14 C.
“The best thing we can hope for is a change in weather: winds to blow smoke away, a good oldfashioned drenching of rain to extinguish fires and improve air quality,” said Mike Farnworth, minister of public safety and solicitor general, in a conference call with provincial media.