The smoky skies bulletin for all of Vancouver Island and the lower third of British Columbia has been extended another day due to smoke lingering from wildfires down in the United States.
Regions along the coast, including all of Vancouver Island and the Southern Gulf Islands, are being affected by smoky skies with continued health warnings being issued from the B.C. Government.
According to the smoky skies bulletin sent out from the province on Wednesday, B.C.’s air quality has “improved considerably across southern B.C. overnight, however, fine particulate matter levels remain elevated.”
Winds coming up from the south are expected to continue to bring variable wildfire smoke conditions to Vancouver Island until at least Thursday, September 17.
Smoky Skies Bulletin – Sept. 16, 2020
For the last handful of days, the majority of Vancouver Island has been blanketed with a significant amount of smoke resulting in an air quality rating of 10+ or “very high risk,” according to B.C.’s Air Quality Health Index (AQHI).
As of Wednesday afternoon, the extreme levels have started to decline and now several communities on Vancouver Island rank between a 6 to an 8 on the AQHI scale. The areas seeing an improvement in air quality on Wednesday include Victoria, Duncan, Nanaimo and the Comox Valley.
The B.C. AQHI recommends residents in communities with an air quality rating of 6-8 to reduce or reschedule strenuous activities outdoors, while advising that children and the elderly should also take it easy.
Despite showing improvements, the B.C. government cautions that smoke conditions can change quickly over short distances and can vary considerably hour-by-hour.
The province also says people respond differently to smoke. Mild irritation and discomfort are common and usually disappear when the smoke clears. Exposure to wildfire smoke and the virus that causes COVID-19 can both result in respiratory symptoms such as a dry cough, sore throat, or difficulty breathing. People can use the BC COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool to help determine if they need further assessment or testing for COVID-19.
If you are unsure whether you need medical care, call HealthLink BC at 811. If you are experiencing difficulty in breathing, chest pain or discomfort, or a severe cough, contact your health care provider, walk-in clinic, or emergency department. If you are having a medical emergency, call 911. Here are the following tips from the province to reduce smoke exposure:
- Smoke levels may be lower indoors but will still be elevated, so stay aware of your symptoms even when you are indoors.
- Running a commercially available HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter can improve indoor air quality in the room where the device is located.
- If you have a forced-air heating/cooling system in your home, it may help to change the filter and set the fan to run continuously.
- Reduce indoor air pollution sources such as smoking, burning incense, and frying foods.
- If travelling in a car with air conditioning, keep the windows up and the ventilation set to recirculate.
- If you are very sensitive to smoke, consider moving to another location with cleaner air, but be aware that conditions can change rapidly.
- Maintaining good overall health is a good way to prevent health effects resulting from short-term exposure to air pollution.
Graham Cox
