Smoke from wildfires burning across the province is creating hazardous air quality in many parts of B.C., including in Kelowna, where the sky was blanked out on Thursday. According to the website IQAir, Kelowna reportedly had the worst air quality in the world at one point that afternoon. “It’s brutal. We just wanted to come see the lake,” one visitor from Quesnel told CTV News. “It’s just so smoky out here. It sucks.” Another visitor said she and her husband were leaving the city a day early due to the smoke. As of Friday morning, IQAir listed Kelowna’s U.S. air quality index as 79, meaning moderate risk. On Thursday afternoon, the figure was well into the 300s. On Canada’s 10-point air quality scale, the forecast for the Okanagan Friday was four, or moderate risk, “except 10 high risk in smoke.” The worst air quality in Canada Monday morning was in Ashcroft, with a reading of 424 on IQAir. An orange warning, meaning “high impact,” is in effect for parts of B.C.’s Southern Interior including the Fraser Canyon, Merritt and Kelowna, while a yellow warning covers roughly half the province from Quesnel to the southern border. Environment Canada says smoke conditions can vary considerably hour by hour during a wildfire. “Exposure to smoke can affect your health. Postpone or reduce strenuous outdoor activities until the warning has ended,” the warning reads. “Spend time indoors in a space with cleaner air.”
