The Ministry of Environment’s Air Quality Health Index lists Quesnel as 9 out of 10 or “high.”
Annie Seagram, an Air Quality Meteorologist, says there is definitely a cumulitive effect to being exposed to high levels of air pollution over time.
“I would have to reply on the health experts to comment more on that, but if you need a really simple, simple analogy just think of if you’re having a campfire there is a difference of how you feel if you just walk through the smoke around you, or if you sit in it the whole evening.’
Seagram says the smoke can also have an impact on pets.
She says it’s hard to say at this point when we might get a break from the smoke.
“We have had so many new fires start across the province over the past few days, especially fires starting in the western portion, so think of more towards the coast and south of Burns Lake. That seems really far way but that’s where a lot of the smoke is coming from right now because we have a strong westerly wind, so it’s really pushing a lot of the smoke from all that ways away into the center of the province, and also north as well.’
The air quality isn’t as bad in Williams Lake where the Air Quality Health Index is listed at just 3 or “low.”
Despite that though, the entire Cariboo remains under a Smoky Skies Bulletin.
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