Smoke over Sooke hills Monday morning. Photo courtesy Twitter/@dlw1805.
B.C.’s environment ministry has added Vancouver Island to the list of regions under a smoky skies bulletin.
West, north, east and inland Vancouver Island are affected, along with Greater Victoria and the Southern Gulf Islands.
The Island joined much of the province Sunday under the smoky skies bulletin and the ministry says in addition to effects from local wildfires, large-scale smoke from distant wildfires is continuing to impact the province.
In a continued air quality advisory for eastern parts of Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, the region said there was a noticeable haze due to a layer of wildfire smoke over the South Coast from wildfires burning in Eurasia and Alaska.
Island Health says anyone with heart or lung conditions are more sensitive to the effects of smoke and should watch for any change in symptoms.
The authority also advises you to watch for difficulty breathing during outdoor activities and although staying indoors in facilities with air conditioning will help you stay cool, many systems do not filter the air or improve quality.
Island Health also advises residents to watch local air quality reports, saying it may be poor even though smoke may not be visible.
The B.C. Wildfire Service says two of three fires sparked by lightning in Strathcona Provincial Park are under control in central Vancouver Island.
The fires were first discovered Friday near the Myra Falls mine.
The Coastal Fire Centre says one of those fires is still not under control, but suppression efforts are ongoing and the fire is estimated to be 0.4 hectares in size.
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