Air quality advisory lifted for metro area

An air quality advisory for the Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley caused by smoke from the Interior wildfires has been lifted after almost two weeks.

The advisory was issued Aug. 1 and alerted residents to “fine particulate matter” in the air, which had wafted across the region from wildfires burning throughout B.C.

Changing weather mean much of the haze lifted on Saturday, allowing for the air quality advisory to be cancelled.

However, Metro Vancouver said the advisory could be back.

“Forest fires in areas outside our region remain active,” the agency said in a news release.

“If smoke from these fires causes air quality to deteriorate again, another air quality advisory may be initiated.”