‘One of the biggest public health threats’: Why doctors say you need to take wildfire smoke seriously

CTV News’ Kraig Krause on the two wildfires in B.C. growing to 18,000 hectares combined with fears of it becoming worse over time.

Smoke from two major wildfires burning in British Columbia’s Fraser Canyon is leading to air quality warnings across parts of the province, with an emergency physician warning the health effects extend far beyond watery eyes and a scratchy throat.

“It is considered to be one of the biggest public health threats that we face,” said Dr. Courtney Howard, who is also the president-elect of the Canadian Medical Association.

The Brunswick and Ainslie Creek wildfires near Boston Bar, B.C., have burned about 180 square kilometres, leading to multiple evacuation orders and alerts in the Fraser Canyon, about a three-hour drive northeast of Vancouver.

Smoke from the fires is drifting across the B.C. Interior and into Alberta, where parts of the Calgary region were also under moderate air quality risk Friday.

Social media lit up earlier in the week with videos that look like they could have been taken on another planet, showing orange skies and dense smoke around Kamloops. But the smoke isn’t just eerie, it can be more dangerous than people think, said Howard.

“Wildfire smoke is a toxic product of combustion,” she told CTV News. “The particulate matter that’s less than 2.5 microns can go all the way down into our lungs, and the ultrafine particles can actually cross over into our bloodstream.”

She said many people connect the effects of wildfire smoke only with the immediate symptoms, including watery eyes, headaches, and complications involving asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

But it isn’t long during a smoke event, said Howard, before people, especially those with pre-existing health issues, start showing up at emergency rooms with more serious problems. “A couple of days after a wildfire smoke episode begins, we also start to see heart attacks and increased cardiac events.”

She said research has also linked smoke exposure during pregnancy to an increased risk of preterm births and lower birth weights, making it especially important for pregnant people to reduce their exposure.

Howard said scientists are only beginning to understand the long-term health effects of repeated wildfire smoke exposure because the research is still limited. “We don’t have good evidence on the long-term outcomes yet,” she said. But a small number of studies, according to Howard, have suggested possible links with high rates of brain cancer and lung cancer.

Howard urged people not to dismiss air quality advisories and said protecting yourself can begin at home.

“Closing our windows and doors when the smoke rolls in,” she said. “We have four air filtration devices in our house now.” Howard said when air quality improves, it’s also important to open everything back up and get fans blowing the indoor air back out.

Howard suggested those at higher risk consider wearing a well-fitting N95 mask during an air quality advisory.

Meanwhile, the BC Wildfire Service says 270 firefighters are working around the clock to protect homes threatened by the Fraser Canyon fires, which have forced hundreds from their homes as hundreds more have been told to pack and be ready to go at any time.

The BC Wildfire Service said Friday slightly cooler temperatures and higher humidity were expected over the next two days, offering firefighters a brief reprieve, but cautioned the weather does not signal an end to dangerous conditions.

The Brunswick fire was first reported on July 2 near the Boston Bar landfill road, where visitor Fernando Balanta said he and others unsuccessfully tried to stamp out flames before strong winds caused the fire to quickly spread.

With files from The Canadian Press