More than 24 hours after wildfire smoke descended on Metro Vancouver skies, the regional district has expanded its air quality warning to cover the entire region. Metro Vancouver issued the yellow warning, signifying high health risk, on Wednesday morning. It covers all of Metro Vancouver, as well as the central Fraser Valley, including Abbotsford and Mission. An orange air quality warning, signifying very high health risk, was already in effect for the eastern Fraser Valley, including Chilliwack Agassiz and Hope. That warning was put in place Monday and elevated to orange on Tuesday The cause of the warnings is smoke from wildfires in the south Cariboo and southern Interior regions of B.C., as well as the Brunswick Complex of wildfires near Boston Bar, Metro Vancouver said. While skies over Vancouver were smoky throughout the day Tuesday, the regional district did not issue an air quality warning at the time, saying the air at ground level remained relatively healthy. Now, that’s no longer the case. The regional district is urging residents to limit outdoor activity and reduce its duration and intensity due to elevated levels of fine particulate matter from the wildfires. Metro Vancouver says outdoor workers, children, the elderly and those who are pregnant or have chronic conditions are at greatest risk from poor air quality. It advises keeping windows and doors closed and running air filtration inside. If your home is too smoky or too hot, try to spend time in places with air conditioning, such as community centres, libraries or malls, the regional district says. “Seek medical help if you experience severe symptoms such as wheezing, chest pain, trouble breathing or severe cough,” Metro Vancouver says. “Call 911 in emergencies.” Residents can monitor air quality on the regional district’s website. The organization says smoky conditions may remain until there is a change in weather.
