Angela Amato
Regina Leader-Post
While hundreds of wildfires continue to scorch the country’s northwest, winds are blowing smoke into Saskatchewan, casting a canopy of haze over most of the province.
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) issued a special air quality statement for Regina on Monday as the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) reached nine, or high-risk.
The AQHI measures the severity of air pollution on a scale from one (low-risk) to 10 or more (very high-risk).
Saskatoon saw levels exceed 10 on the AQHI, prompting ECCC to issue an air quality advisory on top of a heat warning on Monday. Temperatures reached 32 C.
ECCC Meteorologist Terri Lang says it’s difficult to forecast the air quality for the coming days as smoke can travel far distances quickly depending on the air stream.
“People don’t realize how far smoke can travel,” said Lang in an interview Monday. “It can travel thousands of miles because it goes up into the upper atmosphere and gets caught up by the strong upper winds … that’s how some of our smoke can end up in Florida.”
Lang said the smoke Saskatchewan saw Monday came from the northern regions of Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan as well as the Northwest Territories and British Columbia. There is also a possibility that smoke from the northwestern United States will make an appearance later in the week.
“I think it’s going to ebb and flow quite a bit,” added Lang. “But looking out for the next three days, I don’t see any major improvements.”
BlueSky Canada (BSC), an organization that conducts research and provides wildfire forecasts for Canada, projects smoky conditions until at least Wednesday.
“Looking at our previous forecast maps, it seems like most of the smoke reaching Saskatoon and Regina today has been transported from the weekend,” said BSC smoke information specialist Jalena Bennett. “Hopefully the winds will be favourable for blowing most of the smoke out to the north, but we’ll have to see over the next couple of days.”
Smoke levels are usually worse in the mornings. As the day progresses and temperatures cool into the evening, the atmosphere tends to trap more of the pollutants in what Lang refers to as a “temperature inversion.”
“Most nights we get a layer close to the surface of the earth that is warmer than the surface,” she explained. “It inhibits any kind of upward movement of the air.”
Seniors, pregnant people, infants and young children, as well as smokers, those who work outdoors, and people with pre-existing health conditions are advised to avoid strenuous outdoor activities during high-risk conditions.
Inhaling wildfire smoke can cause eye, nose and throat irritation along with more serious, less common symptoms like chest pain and severe coughing.
ECCC recommends limiting time outdoors by rescheduling outdoor sports, activities and events to reduce exposure to smoke particles.
While it is advised to keep windows closed as much as possible with poor air quality, people should prioritize keeping cool while an extreme heat event coincides with smoky conditions.
As of Monday morning, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) reported 104 active wildfires in the province, 16 of which are not contained. There have been 408 forest fires this year compared to the five-year average of 274.
