The sky was clear Friday morning but by mid-afternoon the smell of forest fire smoke returned to Prince George and Environment Canada has issued a special air quality advisory for the city.
The smoke is from the Cutoff Creek wildfire, a blaze that started July 2 southwest of Vanderhoof, which remains out of control and has grown to 22,064 hectares. Winds are expected to bring some of that smoke to our city over the next couple days.
People with pre-existing health conditions, respiratory infections, older adults, pregnant women with infants and children are at the most likely to experience adverse effects from breathing in smoke, which can aggravate existing diseases. To minimize the impact of the smoke, stay inside as much as possible while the advisory remains in effect.
Consider using an indoor air conditioner that cools and filters the air. If you do not have an air conditioner, consider going to public building such as a pool or shopping mall to take advantage of air conditioniing.
The city has already reached its forecast high of 31 C today and another warm day is expected Saturday with a predicted high of 26 C, after an overnight low of 14C.
According to wildfire smoke forecaster, www.firesmoke.ca, smoke conditions will reman low until late Saturday morning, when the smoke is expected to become poor, with particulates ranging between 120 and 250 micrograms per cubic metre. Check the Fire Smoke website for further updates.
